Batman and Ladybug: Miraculous Knight
by Mixedfan8643
Summary: Co-op fanfic with my friend, Reece Wooldridge. France is about to get even more horrors as Batman chases one of his biggest foes, The Riddler, to the country and finds himself meeting up with the local heroes, Ladybug and Cat Noir! How will they get along when they meet? What will happen when Batman meets Hawk Moth? And is the Riddler the least of our heroes's problems...?
1. Prologue: Fragile Peace

**Author's note: Behold, my SECOND crossover fanfic! :D**

 **This time, I'm not alone for it. Here, I'm teaming up with my Hotmail friend, Reece Wooldridge, to bring you guys a crossover that you may consider to be interesting and kinda funny at the same time. For we're crossing over Batman and Miraculous Ladybug! ^^**

 **It's gonna be funny, dark and feature all of your favourite characters and I can promise you, me and Reece are putting in only our best effort into making this a crossover delight for all you readers!**

 **Hope you enjoy! :D**

* * *

 **Prologue: Fragile Peace**

Gotham Airport was on high alert. It had to be given the kind of city that Gotham was. Corrupt, wild, ridden with crime, it was practically suicide to be low-rate security level in anything, ESPECIALLY the airport.

The facility boasted some of the finest security one could muster up from metal detectors o full on strip-searches and even highly sophisticated scanning equipment that could show off any tell-tale signs that somebody's luggage contained a bomb or some other terrorist weapon. Nobody could get onto a plane without anybody finding anything wrong. It was a security heaven for the Gothamites who wished to board a plane and fly to their holiday destination. Gotham Airport hadn't had any incidents in months ever since security had improved, meaning that it was one of the safest places in the entire city. It helped how WayneTech had even provided much of the equipment that the airport security staff used to see if they were dealing with innocent travelers or sick, twisted terrorists.

But even the best security in the world wasn't going to stop a certain individual from leaving the city. As a blonde-haired Asian woman had her luggage scanned, a strange man walked up behind her and awaited his turn. He had a heavy stubble that would soon become a beard unless he shaved anytime soon and wore dark purple glasses that obscured his eyes. He was dressed in heavy black clothes and a black trucker hat. He looked like he was about to go on vacation. In reality...he was merely hiding away until it was time to make a comeback.

The man was one of the most feared criminals in the entire city and one of Gotham's most wanted by the GCPD. He was known as Edward Nygma...but was better known as the sinister criminal known as "The Riddler". He was so-called due to his obsession with puzzles and games, which he used solely for the purpose of proving how intelligent he was. Instead, it just made him obsessed and pathetic. He had been foiled recently due to Gotham's famed Dark Knight and was catching a plane out of the city to go into hiding. He needed some time away to plan his next move...

The Riddler chuckled quietly, making the young woman in front of him turn around, deep brown eyes looking questioningly into his emerald ones "What's exactly funny, mister?" Though her tone was sharp, it was curious too, something the Riddler loved all too well coming from an ordinary person. Unlike the undying curiousity of Gotham's famous dark protector, who constantly beat him at his clue games.

The stubble faced man merely beamed and playfully scratched his own face. "I do apologize. Just remembered something funny from a TV show of mine. That and I'm looking forward to getting away from here."

To his own surprise, the frown faltered on the woman's face, now one of a softer look on regarding him, "Ah yes. If you're leaving for good, I don't blame you. Gotham's a hellhole as far as I'm concerned."

"Can't help but agree with you. I myself, I'm looking at some places in Paris where I can set up business. Rather lovely city, wouldn't you agree?" he replied lightly, making sure his polite facade didn't slip to reveal his all too familiar geeky and edgy nature.

The woman put on a light smirk "It's the city of love, what else is there that's so beautiful? Anyway, it's your turn now. Might see you on the flight, mister." With that, she turned on her heels and paced away from the security check, eager to get on her awaiting plane.

The riddle-obsessed criminal watched with a dirty smile on his face. What fun it was to be in plain sight of people and not be recognized! Those poor, stupid apes would feel really sorry when they found themselves a victim of his games once more, realizing that they were looking at him the whole time!

Now it was his turn, the Riddler placed his suitcase down on the treadmill and watched as it was taken through a small tunnel that scanned it for signs of anything suspicious. They would find nothing. Nygma hadn't packed anything that would raise the alarm with him. He didn't need to. The blank-faced, unsmiling staff member watched as the suitcase went through. No alarms were raised, it was clean. It could go through. She looked back at the Riddler as he handed her a passport, faked of course but not like this puny-minded woman had any chance of realizing that. She took one look at the passport, which identified him as "Justin C. Lue", scanned it and then handed it back over to the disguised criminal.

"Off anywhere special?" she asked bluntly.

"Somewhere very special..." The Riddler purred, "A pretty place the French like to call Paris."

"Lovely." the staff manager muttered. She looked bored and half-asleep, "Hope you have a nice holiday Mr. Lue."

"I intend to." the Riddler replied.

He strutted past her after his suitcase came out of the tunnel, taking hold of it with a firm grip. He flashed the worker a sly wink and a curt nod "You look very bored, might I say?" He always loved poking fun at bored looking people, especially those that didn't like their jobs. He honestly couldn't help it, as he always loved to peck away at the nerves of the dumb, idiotic people that were just plain fed up with what they were doing. Certainly weakened their brains, no doubt.

"Gee, ya noticed?" She rolled her eyes in response to him, before looking at him up and down "Well, Mr Lue, have a safe flight. Enjoy your time out in Paris and whatever else you'll be getting up to." She said in a plain bored tone, almost getting tired having to say nearly the same thing to the people she had to check. She looked like she wanted something big to happen, something the Riddler found all too interesting.

However, he had other things that acquired his powerful mind, and a bored looking security worker was the least of his interest. Though he couldn't help but rub some salt into the wound as he gave her another curt nod, "Enjoy the hellhole, miss." With that insult thrown in and done, he strutted ahead, going towards his destined flight.

But unbeknownst to the Riddler, there was somebody at the airport who was a lot sharper than the woman checking the suitcases. One of the guards who was on patrol had listened to the conversation between the two and despite having his doubts at first, had managed to recognize the Riddler. The disguise had been good but the poor, obsessed fool couldn't keep his personality under wraps enough to hide it. That had given him away.

Behind the wig, sunglasses and fake beard, Dick Grayson grinned to himself. Boy Batman had come up with the right idea to go undercover to see if they could find out where Edward Nygma was running away too! As the Riddler left to board his plane, Grayson, also known to the city outside the airport as Nightwing, took out a phone, dialed a number and put it to his ear.

"Hey Bruce? It's Dick. I've found him..." he informed.

* * *

 _Pairs, France, many miles away..._

The city of Paris was entering its late afternoon time, but nothing could take away the fascinating beauty of the city, not even the lowering sun in the sky, with the skies covered with a red and orange glow, giving the city more of it's magical feeling. But of course, this city had seen quite a lot of battles lately, but thankfully none of them ended with any deaths. In fact, everything was being kept under quite a lot of control, especially now that the city had two magical guardians looking after. They were young, but they were simply the best and were up to the test.

One of them was walking home right now. School had ended an hour ago but the young teen girl hadn't quite gone home yet. She had called her parents to say that she was going to be roaming the city for a while to stretch her legs. Of course, she'd gotten the typical response of "OK honey but be home by dinner". It was why she was on her way home now.

The girl's name was Marinette Dupain-Cheng. She had a French father and a Chinese mother, hence the two surnames, and seemed like your average teenage girl upon first glance. She was quite attractive for her young age, already being the eye of at least a couple of boys at school, with striking blue eyes and blur hair tied with two pigtails. She was also notoriously ditzy, especially in front of her crush, Adrien Agreste, and known to be very clumsy. Despite these traits, she had a secret that nobody in Paris could possibly know about her. She was the famed superheroine known only as Ladybug.

Chosen to be the next bearer of the Ladybug Miraculous, Marinette became the magical superheroine who was responsible for saving Paris from so much catastrophes in the past. It helped how in France, the ladybug (or ladybird as known in some countries like the UK) was seen as a good luck charm. Paris knew that whenever Ladybug showed up, only good could come from it. And to think all Marinette had to do to become this magical deity was to wear a couple of earrings and call out for her kwami, a small magical creature that granted the powers she possessed as Ladybug.

For now, she was just Marinette for everything was at peace. No need for Ladybug to come out yet. As she passed the iconic sight of the Eiffel Tower, she glanced down in her bag where her kwami was hidden. It was a small pink creature with large, cutesy blue eyes set in a large head that sat upon a small body and limbs. It was female and known as Tikki.

"Comfy in there or do you need a bit of air?" Marinette asked, making sure she wasn't being overheard.

"I'm OK though if you want, you can leave your bag open a little." Tikki replied sweetly.

Marinette beamed sweetly at the Kwami and petted her head very gently with the tops of her two delicate fingers, being ever so soft with Tikki, treating her as if she were a baby mouse that was only a week old "Anything for you, Tikki." She said quietly as she left the bag unzipped a little wider, but thankfully no one would be able to peek inside it. Sure, Marinette had one or two incidents were Tikki was spotted, but she somehow managed to pass her off as a little kitten or a tiny doll she had, so she was grateful for that. Marinette sighed contently as she took noticed of calm things were this day. In fact, the last few days were very peaceful and was one of those times were it was simply ordinary, as how the Miraculers sought to see it be.

"Something's peeked up your attitude, Marinette. What's up?" Tikki politely asked, her big eyes curious about what had gotten her holder's mood more uplifted, "Is it to do with Adrien?" She added with a giggle, taking in delight at the deep shade of pink that flashed on Marinette's cheek.

"Heh, not exactly, Tikki. It's just...things seem so ordinary since Saturday. Not an Akuma attack in days. I hope I'm not offending you by saying this..." the young girl explained before trailing off. She hated it if she were to have hurt someone, directly or idirectly.

"Why would I be offended? We fight for peace, Marinette, and we've managed to achieve it." Tikki softly explained.

"I didn't want to make it seem like you were...you know; a tool, like I wouldn't need you anymore or not take notice of you" Marinette responded, her crystal blue eyes looking down to meeting with Tikki's.

The Kwami chuckled "Oh Marinette, you worry too much. You don't treat me as such a thing, and I always cherish the peaceful moments the city has. Besides, I bet Hawk Moth has decided to take a break. Even he needs to find some time for himself."

"I wouldn't have thought Hawk Moth even knew what "spare time" or "time for himself" even is." the teen snickered, "I still wonder where he could possibly be though. He's well hidden and because of this, we won't ever be able to arrest him and take away his Miraculous!"

She could feel a twinge of fright creep down her spine as a horrible thought of Hawk Moth making Paris miserable forever loomed in her mind. Seeing she was distressed, Tikki decided to try and ease her friend's fears.

"Don't worry Marinette. We WILL find him and we will put a stop to his crimes." she insisted, "No criminal ever gets away with what they do forever."

"History lessons at school will tell you otherwise I'm afraid." Marinette sighed.

She thought back to her history lesson earlier today. They had studied about British history, namely the time of the dark, mysterious killer known as Jack the Ripper. She had jokingly thought in her mind that he could've been a Victorian akuma victim but had been disturbed about the fact he had murdered several women and had never been caught for it. Would Hawk Moth follow the same path? Would he be the next Jack the Ripper, a criminal who lived with the crimes he committed and died unpunished for them? It made her shudder to think about it.

Tikki understood and tried once again to ease her friend's worries.

"Nearly every villain I've come across on this world Marinette is always unmasked and brought to justice. You have the power of good luck inside you, and as long as you Chat Noir are around, Hawk Moth will always get us butt kicked, no matter what. We will defeat him someday, Marinette, and who knows? It could be tomorrow, or the day after." She said with a positive smile on her face.

Marinette beamed in return, seeing that sweet smile on her friend's cute little face always satisfied the young baker's daughter "That's probably true, Tikki. And hey, he can't live forever, so that's something to be positive about. Who knows? He could just give up one day." She elaborated, which Tikki nodded in response to

"Yeah, you never know." She brightly said.

* * *

Elsewhere in Paris, not too far from the school he always loved going to, Adrien Agreste was heading towards his limo as he spoken to Nino, who was seeing him to his vehicle. For a young boy of just only fifteen, Adrien was very good looking, catching the eyes of nearly every girl he came across,. Then again, nearly everyone in the whole country recognized him, given he was a model for his father's fashion company. Dresses quite ordinarily compared to the usual rich kid, clad in blue pants, orange converse trainers, a black t-shirt with several coloured lines streaking across his chest, and an open white shirt, Adrien was clearly not the stereotypical rich boy that the media would often brag about.

His personality didn't even match the stereotypical rich boy either, not once being stuck-up or arrogant about his wealth. In fact, he was more along the lines of a lonely rich boy, feeling isolated from the world due to his overbearing and overprotective father. The fact he'd even allowed Adrien to attend this school was something of a miracle and he had made some good friends at the school such as Nino and Marinette. He sadly had to put up with the over-clingy nature of the rich spoiled brat known as Chloe Bourgeois, the one person who saw him as a trophy and nothing else, but his school life was still pleasant enough and made his life less lonely as a result.

"See ya tomorrow Nino." the rich boy said as he got into his limo.

"See ya tomorrow dude!" Nino replied, "Have a radical evening Adrien!"

Nino was the sort of boy who seemed to be behind a few decades with his speech, often speaking in outdated slang terms and 90's quotes but Adrien didn't mind. It gave the other boy a sort of charm that he couldn't help but like about him. As Adrien closed his door, the limo started up and drove away from the school, heading on home to Gabriel's mansion.

The teen model sighed a little as he lay back in his soft, leather seat. With any luck, his father would actually be around to hear how his day was, something that didn't happen very much in his life. Gabriel maybe his father but Adrien had spent so little time with him and even knew so little about him that he almost felt like a stranger to him. Why had his mood soured so much since the disappearance of his mother? Would he ever be happy again with this tragedy still lingering over him?

That was when, however, a tiny dark figure poked his tiny head out from Adrien's chest pocket. He was like a baby kitten with an oversized head, with green eyes and feline like slits in it. This was a reminder of Adrien's other life and that brought a small smile to his handsome features. All of Paris didn't know this and could never know this, not even his own father could know (like he'd believe it anyway).

For Adrien was secretly Ladybug's crime fighting partner, Chat Noir. As Chat Noir, Adrien was able to feel free and slip into that of a brighter and energetic being, being able actually make a difference in the world and work closely alongside his lady, whom he had developed feelings for ever since he met her on that day when they battled Stoneheart. Throughout the world, black cats were always seen as bad luck, so whenever Chat Noir would arrive in battle, it meant the bad guys were about to get their villainous act finished in a bad way. Interestingly, though, he didn't actually do that well in fighting. Sure, he knew fencing and was a good acrobatic, but Adrien always struggled against his foes. He had the strength to overcome them...but he was scared he'd go too far.

Back to the subject that raised its hand though, This Kwami was called Plagg. He was the polar opposite of Tikki in terms of character: he was very laid back, on the borders of being lazy, tired, and constantly hungry, most especially desiring Camembert Cheese, which Adrien hated due to the smell it gave off. Plagg sighed and stretched his tiny arms.

"Mmmm, another day at the horror office over with. I'm starving."

Adrien was grateful the soundproof window in the limo's midsection was down, that way his large driver wouldn't be able to hear the conversation, "I know, Plagg, but you'll have to wait a little bit longer for that cheese. There's bound to be a bit of traffic on the way back." He said quietly as he gazed out of the window, seeing the school shrink in the distance.

Plagg cocked an eyebrow at him "Dude, lighten up for crying out loud!"

"Lighten up? I'm just saying what's gonna happen that's all." Adrien protested.

"Say, you glad that this whole Hawk Moth business has calmed down considerably since the last akuma incident?" Plagg suddenly asked, "I am. Means more time for fun and relaxation!"

"Trust you to think about taking it easy." Adrien snickered, "Although I can't argue with the fact I am glad we haven't heard from that creep in a while. It's nice to see Paris looking so peaceful for once, no akumas to ruin our day."

"But at the same time, no Ladybug to show up and brighten your day." the feline Kwami noted.

Adrien nodded. That was indeed true, Ladybug hadn't shown up since Hawk Moth had gone quiet. Why would she need to? Ladybug's role was to capture akumas so if there was no akuma to catch, Ladybug had no reason to show up. The blonde boy sighed as he thought about his superheroine love interest. Would he ever see her again? And would he ever find out who she was?

He was always so insistent that they reveal their identities to each other. It's almost been a full year since they met each other, and they had grown quite close to each other. There were times where Adrien felt like he was more of a burden to Ladybug than being of any help, but she always told him she couldn't have gotten to where she was without him. Adrien let out another sigh as another thought came to him, but instead, escaped his mouth,

"You know...what will happen when this all comes to an end?" He said aloud, making his Kwami cock his head in confusion.

"How'd ya mean, pal?"

"You know, when we finally defeat Hawk Moth, what's gonna happen then? After he's been caught, will Paris really need Ladybug and Chat Noir anymore? Will Ladybug go away...forever?" Adrien explained, his voice growing distant as he pictured Ladybug swinging into the sunset and never coming back, her job done and no more magical threats to bother the beloved city.

"Look Adrien, if there's something I forgotten to tell ya, it's that you'll always be needed. So what if Hawk Moth will be gone? Doesn't mean all sorts of criminals are gonna stop for good. There'll still be thievery, attempted murder, kidnapping, and who's gonna be there to stop it? You AND Ladybug. You won't see her swinging off to the ether just yet, dude. She's gonna stick around for a while." Plagg insisted

Adrien smirked after taking these words in, before smoothing Plagg's cheek "If only you were like this all the time, huh?" He playfully teased, to which Plagg pulled away and pouted. He wasn't one to be treated like a cuddly little toy

"Hey! For your information, reader's magnet, I am a Kwami and I have great wisdom. I just have a lot of love for food, that's all." he scowled.

"I never would've guessed given how little of it you usually display." Adrien snickered teasingly.

"Hey!" Plagg retorted, his voice mostly full of humour rather than offence.

* * *

Meanwhile in Gotham City, somebody was loading up their private jet with supplies needed for the long journey ahead. Said long journey was a journey from here to France. The person who was preparing to leave was somebody who was far richer than even Gabriel Agreste himself was. That somebody was the billionaire CEO of Wayne Enterprises and also Gotham's Dark Knight himself...Bruce Wayne.

During the day time, he ran Wayne Enterprises, a huge company that covered many fields and had many branches on the tree of business it had grown to become over the years. But night time was a totally different story for Wayne. When the sun went down and the world was blanketed in darkness, he became the crime-fighting vigilante known to many as Batman. He was pretty much Gotham's only hope against the uncontrollable cesspool of crime it had become when he put on the mask, proving to be a very adequate fighter, strategist and detective all at once. He had put up with a lot of things that would normally drive any normal man insane. But Bruce Wayne wasn't any normal man.

And right now he wasn't departing to France for any normal reason anybody else had from tourism to returning home from a holiday. He had been tipped off by Dick Grayson, his former sidekick and Bludhaven's equivalent of Batman, that The Riddler was fleeing to the country and he was determined to catch him and bring him back to Arkham Asylum before all hell broke loose.

He didn't plan on going alone though. Not QUITE alone. For a formal, elderly voice spoken in his ear via an earpiece Bruce kept on him at all times.

"Master Wayne, are you sure about this? Surely contacting the French authorities of the Riddler's incoming to Paris will surely see him getting caught. That or Mr Kent could ask the plane to land at the nearest airport." it was the voice of his all too faithful butler, Alfred Pennyworth, who had fathered and cared for Bruce even since that horrible incident down Crime Alley that night.

Bruce suppressed a sigh as he put in the last of his luggage into the compartment above him.

"Now Alfred. As much as I trust Clark, he's never encountered the Riddler before, and he could be too much for him. That, and if Nygma can slip past the authorities here, he can slip past the authorities there. This will be the only way to get hold of him and brought back to Arkham without causing a political issue." He explained away to his elderly ally, who twirled his moustache on the other end of the earpiece.

"Well, whatever you say, Master Wayne. Though help is always there on my end. And I'll see if I can hold back any women wanting to get a good look inside the manor."

The butler honestly couldn't help but throw in a jab time and again to remind Bruce the troubles he'd have to put up with while his master was gone. This earned a chuckle out of Bruce, something that rarely occurred.

"They'll know soon enough I'm out of the country, Alfred, but hey won't hustle you. Just keep an eye on Tim, Stephanie, and Barbara for me if you can." He replied, always quick to think on his feet and ease his oldest friend.

"Oh yes, it shall all be easy, trying to balance babysitting you through an earpiece and monitor the actions of the youngsters while you're away. If only we could swap places."

Bruce rolled his eyes but inwardly smirked. He had to admit, Alfred had an attitude on him, but it was clear half of that attitude was a facade, much like Bruce's attitude in the public eyes. Bruce took the piece out of his ear and spike into the receiver.

"Go rest yourself for a bit, Alfred. I'll keep an eye on Paris through the news as I fly there." he requested, given that Alfred worked his back off these last few days, and age did have its misfortunes for the old butler, who seemed surprised "Really? My goodness, I am surprised at this sudden fortune. I'll go then, but I won't be gone for long. Must multi-babysit, as usual."

Bruce smirked inward again "Goodbye, Alfred. I'll hear from you soon." With that bidding message, Bruce slid the earpiece into his jacket pocket as the pilot entered the lounge section of the jet.

"We'll be taking off soon, Mr Wayne. Anything else you'll need before we go?" He politely asked, to which Bruce gave a firm wave of the hand.

"I've got everything I need, so I'm good to go."

With that firm confirmation, Bruce gave the pilot a nod after he gave his thanks. Bruce took a seat on his leather chair and watched as the pilot headed to the cockpit, where the co-pilot was waiting for him. Sinking back into the comfiness of his chair, Bruce gazed out of the window with a solemn look on his face as the jet began to turn. He always often wondered how things could've been if his parents hadn't died that night. Would Gotham still be the hellhole that it became? Would people like Superman and Flash come into existence? Would he have become an actual playboy who didn't care about the bothers of the rest of the world? Would he have even cared about the citizens of Gotham? It was always a hard thing to wonder, on what could've been, as such thoughts could tear at your heart and invade your soul for good. But Bruce knew better. Now it was best to live in the present and not focus on the past. He needed to keep up his crusade and make a difference, in Gotham or out of it.

The plane finished turning and headed off down to the runway. The engines whined loudly as the plane was taxiing into position. Bruce gave one last glance out of his window as he was about to leave Gotham behind. He didn't need to worry about it. Dick, Tim, Stephanie and Barbara would keep things under control while he was gone. They were the ones he trusted the most to keep Gotham in check, as well as the Police Commissioner Gordon. Gotham would be safe in his absence.

He held on tight as the plane positioned itself and began to rocket down the runway. In seconds it was up in the air...and right on The Riddler's tail...

* * *

 _ **Well this oughta get hairy. One of Batman's biggest foes is heading to France and now Bruce Wayne's after him! And Marinette and Adrien have no idea about this...**_

 _ **How will things turn out when The Riddler arrives? And how long will France stay peaceful? Tune in next time...**_


	2. Chapter 1: Akuma Victim

**Chapter 1: Akuma Victim**

The flight from Gotham to Paris felt like an eternity. An average flight from America to France did take about 7 hours, and that was if the plane didn't need to make any stops first. The Riddler's flight had taken over nine hours and thirty-five minutes in total, the journey lasting longer than usual thanks to a short stop in another country to refuel. This of course had agitated the puzzle-master for he'd been keen to get away from Gotham as quickly as possible. Any delay meant that if by the off-chance Batman knew what was happening, he could catch up. But nine hours had passed and he'd seen no sign of the caped crusader. Not even so much as a Batwing flying after him. It was quite possible he had gotten away unnoticed after all and Batman would never know that he was no longer in the country.

That didn't make The Riddler any less relieved when the plane touched down in France at last, arriving at Charles De Gaulle Airport at 9:00 AM French time. The riddle-obsessed criminal wasn't too pleased to be arriving at night time. He hated the night for it reminded him too much of Batman and made him fear that if he so much as stepped out of the plane, the vigilante would come for him. But he didn't need to worry. Batman was in America, thousands of miles away from France. He was safe.

As soon as the plane had landed and parked near the airport building, the passengers had all disembarked from the craft and entered the facility. In a matter of moments, the passengers had all exited the plane, collected their luggage and headed off to go their own seperate ways. Some went out to find their cars so they could go home, others waited for taxis to take them to their holiday destinations. The Riddler, who had his suitcase with him, was waiting for a taxi to take him to somewhere that was not a holiday destination. In fact, it wouldn't even appear on a map of France for nobody knew it existed. Before he had left Gotham, the question-master had arranged for a safe house to be built for him as a place of sanctuary and thanks to his valuable resources, he was able to make the right contacts in France to arrange such a thing.

He stood outside waiting for his contact to pull up in a taxi and deliver him there. He had to take off his purple-lens glasses so he could see properly. Having them on made it too dark to see in the Paris night. He checked his watch impatiently, seeing that he'd been waiting for ten minutes. His taxi driver should be here by now! What was taking him?

"Incompetents...can't rely on any shaved monkey to arrive on time can I?!" he scowled, "If he's a minute later than he should be, I'll test my safe house's features on him!"

He gazed at his wrist watch and his eyes narrowed sharply as he saw the tiniest hand on the watch wiz by from one, then to two, then to three, then to four, then to five...

BEEP!

"AH!" The Riddler yelped in shock as a car horn blew him out of his weird trance. Turning to his right, he saw that the Taxi had arrived, gesturing at him with his finger to get in. The so called genius sighed and patted his watch with a calm smile.

"Only about half a minute, he's been spared of any unbearable pain." he muttered to himself quietly as he walked over to the taxi and hopped on inside, placing his suitcase next to him, before looking up at the driver. The driver was a Frenchman and although he avoided the stereotypical image of one, he wore a black beret on his head. He had a thick moustache that made him look like he had a thick brush attached above his lip rather than an actual moustache. The Riddler knew his real name and what his occupation had been before he'd been hired but he didn't bother to address those points. They were irrelevant.

"You know where to take me, yes?" he questioned steadily.

"Oui, to zee safe house, no?" the taxi driver replied as he gazed at the Riddler's reflection in the mirror in front of him.

"Where do I want to go? A snail eating restaurant? You know I want to go to the safe house, so step on it!" The Riddler barked, frustrated he already encountered a complete dimwit, who happened to be his contact of all people.

The driver nodded, his eyes widened slightly at the outburst of his passenger "Oui, Oui, onto it." With a nervous foot on the pedal, the driver took off down the road at a calm speed, trying not to let his nerves get the best of him. The Riddler smiled and leaned back into his chair "Ah, good man." With that polite comment to the driver, the criminal genius looked out of the window with a look of admiration in his eyes. Even though it was dark, Paris's buildings certainly had a look of pure beauty to them, so unlike Gotham back across the Atlantic pond. Oh, he was so excited to put his plans into action.

"My new lair, my safe house, will be the perfect place to test my new puzzles for Batman..." he purred to himself, "I'll get some unlucky moron who dares to ask questions about me or some unfortunate idiot who has no idea about me and put them through hell to test how my devices work and then I'll get my contacts in Gotham to replicate my safe house there so I can use the same traps on Batman!"

The crazed lunatic began to giggle childishly, suggesting badly that he needed a lot of help. He didn't need to laugh to indicate he needed help already. The driver thought that his client belonged in a mental hospital rather than in his own vehicle but he didn't dare to object. He'd rather walk him with the paycheck The Riddler had promised him then be put out of a job.

"And since Batman has no idea I'm here, I'll be able to do all of this without him knowing what I'm up to and by the time his primitive brain figures it out, oh, ho, ho...it'll be too late!" The Riddler cried out.

"You want to kill ze Batman?" the driver asked curiously, "Is zat what zis is all about monsieur?"

"Don't ask questions, just drive you ill-educated chimpanzee!" the quiz-master snapped.

"Yes monsieur, of course..." the driver muttered, irked by his client's rude behaviour.

The Riddler just smiled and lay back in his seat as the car cruised down the road. But little did the ill-minded genius know that the Dark Knight was already hot on his tail, for Bruce Wayne was only an hour behind him on his private jet. That and he crossed onto the turf of Ladybug's and Chat Noir's. Speaking of which...

* * *

At the Agreste Mansion, Adrien was just finishing off his latest set of homework topics, mostly about history. This one was about the Crusade during the time of King Richard and his Templar Allies doing their famous battle across the Holy Land. Adrien really loved history, as it amazed him to see what had occurred in the world long before the time the famous First and Second World Wars occurred. He just wished his father could've spent a bit of time with him on this...

"I wonder what dad's stance on history is?" he murmured, "I wonder if he finds it as fascinating as I do..."

"Given how much of a robot your dad is, I'll be amazed if he finds ANYTHING fascinating!" Plagg snickered teasingly.

"Gee, thanks for the knife Plagg." Adrien sighed irritably, his eyes narrowing into a glare of pure annoyance. He already knew how much his father seemed detached from the real world, he didn't need a bad joke to emphasize the point!

The feline-kwami recoiled, suddenly realizing that his joke had been a low blow and he'd pushed the wrong button on his friend. He maybe laid-back and lazy but even Plagg knew when he was going too far and looked down guiltily.

"Gosh...I'm sorry." he said, "I forget just how much your dad's lack of presence in your life really brings you down...I really went outta line there."

The rich teen softened his gaze. He couldn't stay mad at Plagg, not when he was so sincere on how much he didn't mean any harm. He reached out a hand and patted the kwami's head softly.

"I forgive you." he said softly, "We all have a moment where we make a bad joke and upset people. You didn't mean it bud."

Plagg sighed in relief "Phew, thanks for that. A moment there I thought I'd be tossed in the litter box as punishment" he joked, gaining a smirk from Adrien.

"Heh, I think I could come up with something a lot better than that to punish you" he teased, gaining a chuckle from the kitten like Kwami.

"Better not find out what that is, then, heh..." he trailed off as he then thought of something. It was not often he'd be that considerate, given he was a lazy sod most of the time, but Adrien did treat him well and it was only best he suggest something that could help him go forward.

He looked up at his holder "Say, why don't you just go and knock on your dad's door, ask him if he'd like to check out some history with ya" he made the suggestion right then and there, not knowing how the blonde teen would react.

Adrien merely shrugged, seeing that idea would be really difficult to carry out as he was often too nervous to approach his father, who often regarded him with a stern stare from his icy blue eyes and harsh words. It was such a mystery as to why he changed so suddenly...sure, his mother had something to do with it, but it couldn't kill Gabriel to at least give his son a soft smile and spend some time with him now and again. Still, a tiny, brave smile tugged at his handsome young face.

"I guess it's worth a shot. I mean, he's got quite a few books in his office, maybe we could look at them together" he suggested, more to himself than Plagg, who made a tiny grin in response.

"That's what I like to hear! Go on, partner, give it a blast!" He exclaimed his encouraging words to further usher the boy into facing his father. Maybe it would be the beginning of something new.

Just as Adrien bounced off his bed and swung his door open, he found himself coming to a halt as he saw Nathalie coming down the hallway towards him. She seemed as surprised as he was to see the other.

"Oh, uh, hey Nathalie. Everything okay?" he asked, being polite as always. Though she was stern with him, she was very caring towards him, a lot more so than his dad was.

The surprised look on her face faded as she gave him a quick nod,"Yes, everything's alright, Adrien. In fact, there's someone at the door to see you" she explained to him, her tone still firm, but nowhere near as sharp as his father's was.

This again left Adrien surprised, so he closed his bedroom door behind him and approached her "Really? At this time?" He asked, just to be sure. The teenage heartthrob gotten a nod off of the secretary, so he spoke once more "Okay, who is it?"

About two minutes later, he had entered his home's lobby room with a dreaded look on his face as he spotted the visitor in question. It was Chloe.

"Hi Adrien! My what a pleasure it is to see you tonight!" Chloe called out in her usual chipper, and also very grating, voice.

Adrien was so distraught so see the rich bitch here that he was almost tempted to just kick her out of the house himself. Chloe Bourgeois was another rich teen living in Paris like he was. The only difference was that she was completely spoiled, stuck-up, narcissistic and above all, completely out of touch with reality. She seemed to live under the delusion that everybody worshiped her and that the world was her oyster. In fact, she was just a bully who had more money than she needed and some very strict discipline.

The sad thing was, she was allowed to get away with being such a brat because of one important fact. She was the daughter of Andre Bourgeois, the Mayor of Paris. He was as total buffoon and an inept politician, which was probably why Chloe had turned out this way. He was less of a creep than his daughter, being able to punish her when the time was right but it wasn't enough. And because of the fact her father was such an important figure in the French capital city, Chloe was able to abuse his power and position for her own selfish gain.

She was one of the many girls who fancied Adrien though the teen-fashion model knew perfectly well why that was. It wasn't the boy she was interested in, it was his wealth and public image she wanted. Adrien didn't like Chloe but found it hard to object to her. He feared what would happen if she complained to the mayor about him rejecting her advances. He wished his father was here now, Gabriel would tell her to leave without a care in the world. He didn't fear Chloe or the mayor.

For now, he would try and find a way to convince her to leave. Forcing himself to smile, something he had become very good at, he waved.

"Hi Chloe." he muttered, trying to put some enthusiasm in his voice. He failed.

"Why so glum Adrien? I thought you'd be thrilled to see glorious me here!" Chloe exclaimed conceitedly, "Doesn't my presence just make you feel like you're the luckiest guy in Paris?"

"It makes me feel something alright..." the blonde-haired boy muttered sarcastically. Of course, Chloe didn't even notice the sarcasm in his voice and continued.

"So you maybe wondering why I'm here tonight sweetie-pie!" she screeched excitedly.

"As if I couldn't guess." Adrien retorted.

"Well anyways, my daddy is booking a trip to Gotham City for the upcoming two weeks, and I've got tickets that can have you and my fly there two days earlier in first class!" she squealed as she waved two airline tickets in his face, leaving Adrien stunned.

This was another thing about Chloe: she'd always force stuff into his face and be pushing him into it to be a part of it, whether he wanted to or not. Spending two days with Chloe would mean a lot less breathing space for himself, and he dreaded to think of spending two days with her in Gotham City before his friends turned up.

Nevertheless, he put on his kinder facade and scratched the back of his head nervously.

"Uh, I appreciate it, Chloe, but it wouldn't be fair on the rest of the class." he pointed out, bringing up an honest point with her. Then again, he realized too late that Chloe was just going to brush it off...in three, two, one...

"Oh who cares about the rest of those losers? They'll have to fly in two days later with the rest of the second class, because that's the people they're part of!" she protested, waving her hand lazily. Adrien resisted the urge of clenching his fists out of frustration, but even his voice couldn't muster the anger together in him.

As mentioned earlier, Adrien rarely ever gotten angry, only VERY briefly, like when he told Chloe off for her behaviour that caused Horrificator to go on the loose, and that be time where he was about to lose his temper with Ladybug for embarrassing Lila, but the thing was...he was scared to lose his temper at all. Adrien was scared that if he exploded, he'd forever fall from the light and be more like the colder man his father was now. He loved his father a lot, but he never dreamt of being like him in terms of attitude. That scared him in all honesty.

He was suddenly dragged out of his thoughts, quite literally, as Chloe grabbed him by the arm and began to pull him over towards the front door.

"C'mon, we can talk about it with daddy!" she exclaimed, going to open the door.

"Wha? Ch-Chloe, just hang on!" Adrien cried in protested, trying to halt himself and her from going any closer. Going over to her place was the last thing he wanted.

Thankfully, Adrien's worries were put to rest when a pair of large hands took hold of Chloe's arm and pulled her hand off of Adrien's arm. Looking up, both saw it was Adrien's buff bodyguard, the Gorilla as the young boy tended to call him. He seemed to have been watching what was going on, and given he took his job VERY seriously, the big man was on hand to rescue Adrien. As much he preferred it was Ladybug that came to his rescue, he was very grateful the Gorilla came in time.

"What the...?" Chloe cried out as the huge, muscular man, "Who's this walking muscle factory?!"

"My bodyguard." Adrien introduced, "And I don't think he's in on your idea of just taking me somewhere against my will."

The guard's response was a low growl that sounded more like an angry animal than a human being. That was the scary thing about the Gorilla, he seemed to act more like a gorilla than a person. Chloe didn't seem intimidated by him though and tried to snatch her hand away. But the Gorilla's grip was too strong for her.

"Hey, let go of me you big ape!" she snapped angrily, "I'll tell my daddy that you've been man-handling me!"

The Gorilla ignored Chloe and dragged her over to the door, opening it and gesturing for her to leave. The spoiled brat glared at the guard, refusing to budge.

"I'm not going anywhere!" she ranted, "You can't just kick me out! Do you have any idea who I am?"

The huge, muscular man said nothing though his face said all the words he would probably be saying right now: "Yes I do but I don't care." Sighing in annoyance, Chloe decided to give the Gorilla something to think about.

"Fine, I'll go. But I'll tell daddy about you and he'll punish you very badly for this!" she warned, "Maybe he'll find some monkey cage for you to live in with all the other apes, which is where you belong!"

And that was when she found herself hurling through the door and landing in a bush nearby. The mayor's daughter hadn't even realized what had happened. One minute she had been threatening the guard, the next...this had happened! The Gorilla dusted his hands off and stalked away, though he seemed a little troubled by what Chloe had said to him. His scowl had softened and now he looked almost sad, an expression that didn't seem right on him. It was as if she had found something that could break through his tough demeanor and make even HIM shudder. Adrien noticed but said nothing. He wasn't sure what to do about it, rubbing the back of his head helplessly.

However, rather than be quiet about what he just did, Adrien gave him a soft smile and a pat on the arm.

"Um, th-thanks. I really appreciate it" he said kindly, honesty filling his voice.

The Gorilla merely glanced at him and gave him a small nod, wandering off towards the back of the mansion. Adrien sighed after the large man left the room, now feeling a little worried himself. Would the mayor contact his father and demand the Gorilla get a warning or be fired? Worse of all, would Chloe go to the press and brag about it, but twist the story a bit to make the public hate him? That was something Adrien honestly didn't want to see. Sometimes he was glad the Gorilla was around, as he could make sure bothersome things were dealt with like how he just handled the situation with Chloe...but would he get in trouble now?

* * *

Elsewhere in Paris, a circular door high in the wall opened up, letting the moonlight's magical glow lighten up the darkness of the room, which was occupied by hundreds of little white butterflies, who's shiny colour wasn't enough to bring any light into the room. A soothing chuckle entered the room and calm footsteps were heard as they entered the moonlight.

Standing there was a very tall man with a slender build, looking quite dapper in his dark purple dress suit with over-sized black lapels and some sort of butterfly charm clipped around his collar, twirling his cane quite playfully in his hands. What stood out the most about this man, however, was the silver helmet that covered the entirety of his face, even his ears! His deadly, ice cold eyes grinned hungrily into the sky as he smiled delightfully.

"My my, I was wondering when this one would crack" Hawk Moth purred to himself, his soothing voice ever so calm and curious at the same time.

"A brute of a bodyguard who looks and acts like an animal but only wishes to do his job. I hardly see how he's deserving of punishment for that." the masked man purred, "Justice needs to prevail for this poor, simple ape of a man..."

His face curled into a cold smile that could chill the blood as he stroked his chin.

"And thankfully, I can help him get the justice he deserves..." he added sinisterly.

He then held out a gloved hand and as if he had somehow managed to command the winged insect, one of the many butterflies around the room landed in his hand. Thanks to his Miraculous, the moth broach he wore around his collar, he was able to command butterflies and make them come to him when he pleased. The butterfly settled down on Hawk Moth's hand and then he covered it with his other hand, his cane under his arm so he could use both hands. In-between his hands, something magical began to happen. But it wasn't magic of the pleasant kind. Instead, it was dark and somewhat evil, evil in a sense that it was a corruption of something beautiful.

Black magic began to circle around the masked man's hands and then form around the butterfly he had imprisoned there. It was like splodges of ink had come to life and were surrounding the beautiful insect. For a moment, Hawk Moth's hands were still clasped together. Then suddenly, he took his other hand away, revealing the dark magic he had just preformed. The butterfly was no longer white in colour, but black with purple streaks. The butterfly hadn't just gained a new colour, it had gained a dark power that gave Hawk Moth his fearsome reputation.

The evil Miraculous wielder held up his hand, urging the corrupted butterfly to go. It flew out of his hands with a flap of its wings, heading towards the open window.

"Fly away my little akuma, and akumatize him!" Hawk Moth cried, twirling his cane through the air and bringing it down beside his feet.

The butterfly, or "akuma" as Hawk Moth referred to it as, passed through the window and flapped into the night, passing through the dark sky and the many lights of the city. It didn't have far to go in order to reach its destination.

* * *

Out in the back garden of the Agreste Mansion, the Gorilla was sat in the garden bench of the outside area, looking down at the ring on his right middle finger. He remembered the day he gotten it, from his mother. He remembered how she was the only who honestly wasn't intimidated by his big size and whom admired how seriously he took his job. With the exception of his mother and a few other people, the Gorilla was always a subject of insults whenever anyone saw him. Young punks would always make monkey noises whenever he was walking down the street, stuck up snobs like the mayor would often tell him to swing off into the trees and get a banana, others would ask him if he was a Big Foot in disguise.

This really frustrated him a lot, but since he worked with the Agrestes, he was treated more fairly, though years of suffering prejudice and insults made him a quiet person. All the stuff Chloe said to him tonight just brought back a lot of painful memories, and that pain caused a swirl of red anger to heat up inside him.

As he looked away from the ring his mother gave to him, the Gorilla failed to notice the flutter of wings of an all too familiar demon: it was the akuma, who found it's prey. It gently set down on the ring, to which something bizarre happened: the Gorrila's head shot upwards and his face went blank, as if he was in some sort of trance. The energy outline of a butterfly's body appeared around his eyes, with the skin under them turning a dark plum colour. And then an all too familiar voice soothed its way into the Gorilla's head.

"Greetings Ape-Man. I am Hawk Moth." the voice said.

Hawk Moth may not be in the same place as the Gorilla, but he was talking to him as if he was right in front of him. It was another power of his, his telepathic link with his akuma victims. He could strike conversations with them without leaving his room.

"My heart bleeds for the injustice that has been thrown at you by a certain politician's daughter." Hawk Moth crooned, "So I have given you the powers you need to get your revenge on her. But you must also do something for me in return..."

He paused for effect before continuing.

"You will bring to me the Miraculouses that belong to Ladybug and Cat Noir as a token of thanks for what I have given to you." he ordered, "Bring me their Miraculouses, and I shall reward you handsomely."

The Gorilla smiled, though the smile didn't quite suit his features. It looked as if he had become somebody else in that split second. Then suddenly, for the first time in a while...he stood up and spoke.

"Ape-Man. Get. Girl! Then get. MIRACULOUS!" he bellowed as a purple, smokey energy covered his entire body from head-to-toe.

A horrible cracking of bones followed as the dark figure of his body inside the smoke bulked up, gaining more pounds of muscle by the looks of it, with his biceps getting mightier, and he shot up about two feet higher in terms of height. As the smoke cleared, standing there was nolonger the Gorilla, but instead a rather hideous hybrid of a man and an ape. Ape-Man retained the silver sideburns of his hair and kelt his skin fair, yet his body was now that of an ape's! Black fur stretched from his neck and all the way down to his toes, with his legs covered by a pair of purple trousers. His hands were also very large, still having its fair colour, but half of them, and half of his feet, were covered by thick black. His ring glowed a slight purple as the transformation was completed. The Ape-Man growled madly and beaten his chest like he was King Kong on the Empire State Building, before looking up at the roof of the mansion.

"Ape-Man. Need view!" He growled as he crouched down and launched himself upwards, his massive figure reaching the highest ledge of the building.

Climbing onto the rooftop, he looked about at his dark surroundings, tracing the lights of the buildings into the main part of Paris, almost like it was telling him how far Chloe was. Given how powerful wild animals' noses were, the monstrous man/ape hybrid sniffed the night air, catching whiff of the bratty girl's scent.

"She gone home now! Ape-Man pay visit!" he hissed, stomping the rooftop floor angrily, before leaping off onto the next building ahead of him. This act of anger, however, caught some attention.

All of a sudden, the door to the rooftop opened up, Adrien springing out of it to see what the commotion was, with Plagg following him closely. Adrien caught sight of the fleeing dark figure on the rooftops ahead. Plagg whistled to himself as he took it in.

"Well whadd'ya know, huh? Another Akuma victim on the loose. So much for nearly getting a full week break" he moaned, having enjoyed a bit of a snooze earlier. Adrien, however, had a serious look on his face

"Plagg, we can snooze later, Paris needs saving right now!" he cried as he dashed towards the edge, the little Kwami following closely.

"Just say the magic words, kiddo!" he called as he caught up with him.

Adrien grinned at this. He knew what to do. Now was the time to bring about justice to Paris and be free at the same time. He lifted his right hand that held his Miraculous ring.

"PLAGG! CLAWS OUT!" he shouted.

What followed next was a magical transformation that was not only impressive to watch, but not as dark and evil looking as the transformation of Hawk Moth's akumas and the akuma victims.

As Plagg disappeared into the ring, the ring turned black and displayed a yellow pawprint symbol on it. The symbol of Cat Noir.

Then Adrien ran his fingers over his eyes, creating an eye mask that turned his own eyes green and made them look very cat-like, narrow slits and all. Then he ran his hands over his hair, which created the trademark "cat ears" that were part of his costume and then a wave of magical energy swept over the boy as his clothes transformed from his usual attire to a skin tight black outfit that covered his whole body. He had gloves and boots and a "cat bell" that sat just under his chin, giving him the impression of wearing a collar with a bell attached. The final part of the transformation saw a belt form around his waist, only it wasn't just there to be a belt. It was also there to act like a cat tail, extending out behind him.

The transformation had completed and now Cat Noir was ready for action. He stood up straight and glanced ahead, smirking confidently.

"Time to catch ourselves a runaway ape!" he declared.

* * *

Meanwhile, The Riddler's taxi was approaching a nearby roundabout. The travel from Charles De Gaulle airport had taken almost an hour but much to the quiz-master's delight, he was almost at his safe house. The driver's SatNav even said that they weren't far away from the building. They had to pass the roundabout, go through another street and then they would arrive.

The Riddler glanced out of his window, watching the cars enter the roundabout. It was strange seeing things like this since Gotham didn't have any of those on its roads. Being in a different country meant a lot of sights that were new to him. But that didn't matter, he wouldn't be out and about much during his time in France anyway. He still took in the sights of the city so he knew what places to send his henchmen out to get him some victims. He just wondered how Paris had managed to look so beautiful over the many years it had existed. He was going to enjoy his stay, that much was certain.

He looked away from the window and over to his driver. The taxi cruised past a traffic light that was on green and then entered the roundabout.

"How much longer until we arrive?" he asked eagerly.

"If we don't run into anymore traffeek, we should be there in about um...fifteen minutes monsieur." the driver replied. He looked and sounded happy about that fact as if he was keen to get rid of his passenger as soon as possible.

"Then let's make sure we don't run into any traffic you moustached moron." The Riddler sneered, "Step on it!"

"Why are you so keen to get to your place quickly monsieur? You act as if you're on ze run!" the driver asked curiously.

"Just shut up and drive!" was the response he received.

Sighing, the driver did as he was told, continuing to drive his ever so rude passenger. At this point he was seriously resisting the urge of kicking him out of the taxi himself. Of course, he needed the large amount of money, so he wasn't going to do such a thing.

However, just as they turned a corner, he slammed the breaks on as his eyes widened and pupils became mere tiny dots in his eyes. The Riddler brokered from where he was in the back and leaned forward, his hairy face in an angry scowl.

"What is it now you brainless buffoon!?" he demanded like he was the daughter of the mayor of Paris.

In response, the criminal genius received a trembling finger pointing outward at the road ahead of them. Following the finger, the Riddler found a similar expression crossing his hairy face "Oh...crap..." was all he could muster.

Out ahead of them was the Man-Ape, who had landed in the middle of the busy road they were now in. He beat on his big hairy chest and roared loudly like the huge monstrosity he was. The Riddler almost wet himself from where he was sitting; wasn't there a single place in the world where there WEREN'T mad things going about!? This looked like something he'd hear about in Gotham City!

"Ape-Man find bratty girl!" Ape-Man roared as he began to storm towards the taxi, which backed up straight away and swerved onto the curb, knocking down a lamppost in the process, and sending the Riddler flying backwards into his car seat.

"AGH! Oh you empty headed fool!" he cried out angrily as he picked himself up, but found his jaw dropping once more as he watched the akumatised victim leap down the road, causing a slight tremor in the ground when he landed.

To the Riddler it was frightening but fascinating. To the driver however though, it was trouble, and for good reason...it was every man for himself to him!

In a split second he undid his seatbelt and was out of the car in a blur, leaving the Riddler frustrated.

"Hey! Come back here you cowardly idiot! Come back!"

His words fell on deaf ears though as he then saw hundreds of Parisians running down the street, frightened at the giant monster that was back the other way. But then something else caught the Riddler's eye and for a second, his whole soul trembled in dread.

A slim, dark figure landed in front of the car, a long staff visible in his hands. The Riddler could just make out the pointy ears and that's when the dread kicked in. He thought the figure right in front of him was Batman! That was it! The game was up! The Dark Knight was in Paris, not just here to take down the Ape-Man, but to bring in the Riddler as well!

However, the dread vanished when instead, as his vision could further make out, he saw this figure had blonde, messy hair and green eyes, and lacked a cape. It was Chat Noir, who was on the hunt for the Ape-Man. This made the Riddler frown. He knew almost all of the heroes off the world like the back of his hand, but he never heard Catwoman had a son and he was operative in Paris!

"I've heard of copycats but this is ridiculous!" The Riddler blurted, "France has its own equivalent of Catwoman?! Who is this guy?!"

In order to find out what he was up against, he decided to follow as Cat Noir chased after Ape-Man. Maybe this poor, leather-clad fool would make a great test subject for his safe house's features. He just had to make sure he wouldn't be noticed...

* * *

Back at Charles De Gaulle Airport, another plane touched down on the runway and slowed to a stop, taxiing slowly across the tarmac towards the terminal itself. This was Bruce Wayne's private plane. He had finally arrived, a whole hour after The Riddler himself had landed. The billionaire CEO was glad to be there at last. He'd been keeping an eye on the news to see if The Riddler was making his move already. It was just like the ego-maniacal criminal to make a big scene already. But to his amazement, he hadn't heard anything. The Riddler hadn't made his move yet, which was fortunate for him. The Gotham hero wasn't going to let a city as beautiful as Paris fall victim to the puzzle-master's nefarious schemes.

Luckily for Bruce, his status as the CEO of Wayne Enterprises meant that he could skip passport control by going through the VIP Services. He did after all, more than fit the position of "Very Important Person". Because of this, he would be out in the streets in no time and be on the search for one of Gotham's worst criminals. He had phoned ahead for one of his French contacts to have a limo ready for him when he arrived. Once through VIP Services, he would be in the limo and on his way to a hotel room that he'd rented for himself and then be in the Batsuit before he'd even unpacked. Then he would find The Riddler and drag him back to Gotham and then throw him back in Arkham Asylum. And hopefully he would stay there.

At least...that was his plan. But as he disembarked from his jet and entered VIP Services, things turned in a way he couldn't have anticipated. As he entered the VIP lounge, he noticed that there was a television nearby. Some of the guests, probably important people flying away for business, were watching it with their eyes fixed on the screen as if they couldn't look away no matter how hard they tried. Bruce came closer, looking at the screen. It was the news that was playing and the news reporter Nadja Chamack was delivering the night's news. Bruce could barely believe the headline he was reading just underneath the news reporter. It was, of course, written in French but Bruce knew enough French to translate:

 **Giant Ape-Man Causing Havoc In Paris!**

"Just as all of Paris was relaxing during a week where no recent Akuma attacks had taken place, another strikes again! This super villain, calling itself Ape-Man, literally sprung out of nowhere in the middle of the night! It's rampaging down the road as we speak, causing all civilians to flee in sight of it! But not everyone is running away from. One of Paris's most beloved guardians, Chat Noir, is hot on his tail!" the story said.

* * *

Bruce wasn't the only one watching this, for in her bedroom above the bakery her parents owned, Marinette had seen the news footage spring up on her laptop's news app. She and Tikki watched on in utter shock as they saw the monstrous beast rampaging towards the hotel on the news.

"Oh no! Not another Akuma!" she cried in shock, having gotten so used to relaxing this week.

But as soon as she saw Chat Noir on the channel, her mood instantly changed. A shocked look vanished from her face, turning into that of a determined one "Chat can't fight this alone! We've gotta help him!"

She turned to Tikki, who smiled sweetly.

"Just say the magic words, Marinette!" she squeaked.

"TIKKI SPOTS ON!" Marinette yelled loudly, giving her earpieces a rub.

Tikki flew into them and just like when Adrien transformed into Chat Noir, a more positive transformation occurred. Marinette slid her fingers over her eyes and her black dotted red eye mask covered the top half of her face. A pink and reddish smoke spread from neck to the toes of her body, covering her in a leathery material, her jumpsuit being form fitting and styled as a ladybug, black dots patterning over her petite figure. Swinging her yo-yo about and drawing it in, Ladybug stood triumphant after the transformation, ready for battle.

Her sharp blue eyes cast a glance over at the screen of her laptop and saw Chat Noir was now facing off against Ape-Man. Alone.

"Just hold on, kitty! I'll be there!" She cried as she opened her window and shot her yo-yo outwards, swinging off towards the battle of the night with a hard look on her face.

But tonight, Ladybug and Chat Noir were not going to be alone. For a certain billionaire from Gotham, getting changed would be a little slower, but he'd be on the scene as soon as possible...

* * *

From where he was in the airport, Bruce's grip on his private suitcase tightened. He might've been after the Riddler, but that didn't mean he should stand back and not help stop this monster that was menacing Paris tonight!

"Just when I thought I this trip was gonna be straight forward." Bruce murmured.

Even outside of Gotham, trouble couldn't stay away from him. Looking around quickly, he saw that there was a bathroom nearby. It wasn't stylish but it was the only place where he could change into his famous outfit.

Seizing his chance, the rich man dived into the toilets and opened up the suitcase. It contained the most important thing that he would need on him in any situation, his trademark cape and cowl and the suit that accompanied it. Even when he was on holiday, Bruce never left without the Batsuit. In his life, even holidays went terribly wrong and required Batman to come out into the fray.

Minutes later, Bruce had changed into the suit, becoming his crime-fighting alter-ego once more. He was wearing a new Batsuit that had been an upgrade from his original outfit. It was mostly grey and came with black boots, gloves and a belt that was black and gold rather than just gold. The bat symbol was different, featuring rather chunky wings and outlined in yellow.

Batman slipped the cowl down over his face, completing his dark and mysterious look. He was ready. Glancing briefly out of the nearby window, his eyes narrowed.

"You're not off the hook yet Riddler." he warned in his deep voice, "Once I've fought off this ape-man, I'm coming after you..."

So he wouldn't cause a ruckus in the VIP Lounge, he climbed out of the window and dove into the night, his cape spreading out like wings as he glided down from where he had jumped and took him towards the ground. As soon as he landed, he charged off towards the city itself, hoping he would be in time to save it from disaster...

* * *

 _ **Hawk Moth's causing trouble and it seems Ladybug and Cat Noir are on the case again! But things are going to be different since Batman is here too. How will things go now three superheroes will be fighting the akuma?**_

 _ **And what will happen now The Riddler's taking an interesting in Paris's heroes? Tune in next time as things REALLY heat up in Chapter 2...**_


	3. Chapter 2: The Bat and the Ladybug

**Chapter 2: The Bat And The Ladybug**

ACE Chemicals was a place full of history in Gotham. But there was only one piece of history that many people knew about ACE Chemicals and one piece of history that was significant to the Gothamites and Batman himself. This was the place where, as rumours had it, The Joker was born.

It was rumoured that Batman had had a battle with a criminal known as The Red Hood a while back and the battle had taken place in ACE Chemicals. The fight had seen the Red Hood plunging into a chemical bath that supposedly bleached his skin white, made his lips red and turned his hair green. This was supposedly how The Joker, Gotham's Clown Prince of Crime, had come to be.

The old chemical building was seldom used much these days in Gotham. Nowadays it was mostly used as a hiding place for the criminal prankster. The ACE Chemicals building was huge but held no attraction. It looked old, out of date and like it was going to fall apart in minute. It was ancient history and looked like it needed to fall down. The Joker didn't mind, he preferred it that way. It had looked like this when he had been "born" and he wanted a reminder of how he came to be.

The Joker looked like a clown thanks to his chalk white skin, red lips, yellow eyes and green hair. In fact, he was more like a freak since none of the aforementioned traits were make-up of any kind, it was how he actually looked. His jester-appearance was amplified by the bright colour clothing he wore from the purple long coat to the green tie and yellow waist coat. His coat had a yellow flower attached to the lapels. The flower looked innocent enough but in fact, contained acid that he would squirt instead of water.

The Joker was currently walking into ACE Chemicals now having just recently escaped Stryker Island. He was going to wind down and then plot his next move. As he walked in, a pair of hyenas he kept as pets looked up and giggled at him. The Joker laughed back at them and then called out.

"Harley! Your Mistah J's back!"

He outstretched his arms, awaiting to be embraced by the squealing, nutty blonde, but after about a minute, he cracked a surprised eye open, realising that not only she wasn't there, but there really wasn't anyone else there. Instead of throwing a fit like most typical villains do, his grin cracked further across his face as he clapped his hands together.

"Ohh, so I'm home alone with just my lil' kids? That's not too bad! I always love having myself for a bit of company, certainly saves seeing a lot of scared, baby faces! HAHAHA!"

He walked into a nearby office and threw his drenched coat onto the nearby chair, which he jumped into like a child and began to rummage through the draws of the desk in front of him. Recently, the Joker had spent the last five days avoiding recapture by Superman after he and Batman gotten him locked up on Stryker Island a few months back. For once, Batman felt it was better to have arch-enemy in a more tighter, militaristic like prison. This actually left the Joker quite pissed really, as he felt he was too far from his playground of Gotham City, and he often disliked missing out on the fun of terrorising Batman, so it's no wonder he jumped into freedom when Atomic Skull broken himself out of Stryker Island by causing quite a bit of destruction.

Upon opening up the middle draw, the Joker chuckled in delight as he found a set of make-up tools. Given he swam all night into Gotham's back city, he stank like hell and his image was mostly ruined. If he wanted to take on Batman, he'd have to have a smart look on him before going to war. Humming a little song to himself, the Joker leaned back in his chair and delicately traced the lipstick over his lips, turning them into a bright red colour, restoring one part of his creepiness. He grinned and licked his teeth like he was tucking into dinner.

"Ahhhh, so good to be back. Let's see what's on the box, shall we boys!?" he often loved talking to himself or to animals, as thanks to the mirror in front of him, he honestly felt like he was actually talking to someone. As long as that someone was like him, of course.

Grabbing the nearby remote, the clown criminal pressed the "on" button that brought the television to life. Appearing first was some sort of soap opera, which made the Joker cringe.

"Ugh, one of the biggest miseries of television." he moaned, "I should visit the studios with my gas someday, bring some life into these ultra bore fest shows. Anyway, NEXT!"

He pressed a button on the remote to change the channel. A cooking programme came on, showing some Italian chefs that looked more like they spent time EATING the food instead of preparing it. They were enormously fat, so much so that they almost seemed to bump into each other as they ran around preparing their meals. The Joker wasn't interested but he broke into a broad grin anyway.

"Hey it's Mario and Luigi!" he joked, "Fancy making us some spaghetti you fat frumps?! Ah, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!"

He then watched as the first chef sprinkled some cheese over a tagliatelle meal on the screen. He was saying something but the clown criminal didn't register them. He was too busy thinking of jokes to amuse himself with.

"They should put ME in a cooking programme!" The Joker crowed. He was very egotistical and had a high opinion on himself, something that made him insane but very dangerous, "I know what I'd call the show! I'd call it "Cooking with The Joker: The Cooking Programme Where The Dishes Are A Killer!"! Of course, the dishes would end up killing my customers so it wouldn't be a hit, but I'd give Gotham a recipe to remember! AH, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA!"

He then switched the channel to another programme. It was playing a movie this time but The Joker didn't seem very keen on what film was playing.

"Oh great, another Marvel snore-fest!" he muttered, "Why do those fat cats think they're the best of everything? All their movies do is make super-heroes and super-villains boring! If they want a REAL movie they should make it about Batman fighting Superman and then have me as the main character!"

He switched the channel once more, finding himself looking at what appeared to a pornographic movie. The Joker watched as things that cannot be mentioned for decency purposes began to unfold on the screen. He looked grossed out and changed the channel very quickly.

"What do people get out of this junk?!" he muttered, "I hope Harley doesn't have that in mind for me...if she does then I'll Joker Bomb her INTO THE NEXT MILLENNIUM!"

He then glanced at the screen to see what the channel had changed to now. He saw that it was the news and although he didn't really care about the news, he decided to watch and see if there was anything that might be worth his time. Probably some soppy speech about peace that he could ruin, the mayor making another public appearance demanding his presence, anything. But even the jester of crime couldn't anticipate what would end up happening next as a result of his watching the news.

As the programme started, a headline flashed up on the screen. A headline that The Joker couldn't ignore:

BREAKING NEWS: BATMAN SPOTTED IN PARIS!

The Joker's eyes nearly popped out of his head as soon as he saw the headline.

"What the!? He's on vacation!? Bah! No wonder it's been so boring in Gotham lately! Still, let's see what Batsy is up to with the toads of France, hm?" he said to himself as he leaned forward closely like a little child that was hypnotised by the screen.

The news reporter was Iris West, who's news programme was reporting the news from Central City, the Flash's home turf, while there was helicopter camera footage live from Paris. It showed Batman running across rooftops to get to the central part of Paris

"It seems that the latest akuma attacks in Paris have finally attracted some attention from the rest of the world's superheroes. The Dark Knight of Gotham is in Paris tonight and seems to be heading off to aid Chat Noir in taking down this bizarre monster, the Ape-Man...wait, there's another footage feed coming in!" Iris explained as she paused for a moment, looking at the camera footage behind her bringing up another screen of footage, this time featuring Ladybug swinging towards the battle, a lot more closer than Batman was.

Iris looked surprised and held an excited hand to her mouth "Ladies and gentlemen, I think this is going to be the first time France's heroes and one of the Justice League are going to meet tonight!"

The Joker frowned as he saw the images of Ladybug and Chat Noir, though he couldn't help but smirk.

"Ah, so they've taken inspiration from the Boy Blunders, hm? Wear your pyjamas to go out crime fighting? And Catwoman's had a son all this time!? HAHAHAHAHA! They probably have an underground school training kids to be superheroes, nothing would surprise me! Still, things are looking oh so interesting. Let's see what you're up to with these children, Bats" he chuckled as he watched what was going on.

* * *

Across the cold Atlantic pond, Ladybug dashed to the edge of the current rooftop she was on. Coming to a halt, she peeked over and saw she had just managed to arrive to the current battle ground where Chat Noir was battling the Ape-Man, who was tossing all sorts of debris at the feline like hero, who spun his bo-staff in a circle at a fast pace to deflect the incoming projectiles. Ladybug frowned as she knew it was time to make her entrance.

"You're not alone anymore, kitty! I'm coming!" she cried as she tossed her yoyo out at a nearby lamppost.

Taking off, she manoeuvred herself to the left and outstretched her right leg as she came closer to the rampaging beast, who she kicked hard in the face with all the combined strength of stamina and magic she had. Cringing as she saw a huge splatter of spit flying out of Ape-Man's mouth, she landed beside Chat Noir, watching with him as the akumatised victim fell back onto a container truck, crushing it slightly and leaving him dazed.

Chat Noir flashed his ever so charming smile at his crime fighting partner, resting his bo-staff on his shoulders.

"Nice to see you, M'Lady. If only we had a more romantic setting for our meeting tonight" he flirted, unable to resist doing so, given how madly in love he was with his terrific partner, who rolled her eyes but smirked at him.

"Nice to see you too, Chat. Seems like this ape's really lost his bananas, wouldn't you agree?" she winked as she drew her yoyo in, not noticing the fangasm she caused her fellow partner to start doing.

"Did you just make a joke!? Yes!" Cat Noir cried.

As Ape-Man pulled himself out of the damaged truck, he shook his head, clearing his vision with Ladybug and Chat Noir coming into his sights. An energy form of a butterfly appeared over his face as he then heard Hawkmoth's voice again.

"That's it! They're both here! Beat them down and bring me their Miraculouses!" the villainous man's voice hissed in his head, demand evident in his ever so soothing voice.

Ape-Man understood and bared his huge teeth, showing off incisors that were bigger than the average gorilla. He pounded his chest, bellowing at the top of his voice.

"Ape-Man. GET. MIRACULOUS!" he thundered.

He then got down on all fours and lumbered towards Ladybug and Cat Noir. He really did look like an actual runaway gorilla as he charged. The insect and feline-themed heroes jumped aside just as Ape-Man roared past. They had only just managed to dodge, feeling the wind sweep past them as their opponent missed. They both landed and Ladybug began to twirl her yo-yo around. She fixed her eyes on the simian-man-monster, looking for an opening.

"Wonder what got King Kong so riled up?" she murmured, "If this is somebody who's been akumatized because of Chloe again, I'm not gonna be surprised."

She then threw her yo-yo straight between Ape-Man's eyes. The ladybug-decoed weapon slammed straight above Ape-Man's nose but did very little to him. The attack seemed to annoy him rather than hurt him. Roaring loudly, he lumbered towards Ladybug again.

"Ape-Man squash ladybug!" he screamed.

Ladybug cried out in horror and tried to jump out of the way. But the terror of seeing this mountain of muscle and power coming towards her had slowed her reaction so she had been just a fraction too slow. Ape-Man ran straight into her just as she was preparing to leap. To the insect-themed heroine, it felt like being hit by a tank. She cried out helplessly as she was swept off her feet and taken for the ride. Cat Noir saw this with horror in his eyes and he scampered after his super-love interest.

"Ladybug, hold on!" he cried.

Ape-Man had heard him and then screeched to a halt. He spun around and tossed Ladybug through the air. The blue-haired crimefighter cried out as she was sent spiralling towards her cat-themed partner. Cat Noir stopped and tried to dodge but he wasn't fast enough. The two heroes were sent sprawling over each other as Ladybug crashed into Cat Noir. They groaned, wondering what had hit them. Ape-Man then stomped towards his opponents, grunting heavily. He didn't even look worn out. This whole fight hadn't even been so much as a warm-up to him. He flexed his biceps and then reached down, grabbing Ladybug and Cat Noir by the wrists and hoisting them off their feet.

"Now Ape-Man take Miraculous!" he declared.

"Ladybug, Cat Noir! No!" cried a voice that Ape-Man had been hoping to hear so he could silence it for good.

The two French crime-fighters gasped in horror. Oh no...the worst possible thing had just happened! An innocent civilian was going to get involved in the crossfire! And worst of all, it was Chloe who was that innocent civilian (though she hardly qualifies as one). The mayor's daughter had been on her way home when Ape-Man had attacked and had been watching the fight from behind a busted car nearby. Being a big fan of Ladybug, she'd been rooting for the heroine the whole time. Now she'd given herself away, diverting Ape-Man's attention from the Miraculouses to her. Ape-Man's rage-filled eyes narrowed as he saw the woman responsible for his akumatization. Forgetting all about his mission, he roared.

 **"APE-MAN SQUASH BRATTY GIRL!"** he bellowed.

"CHLOE, FOR YOUR DAD'S SAKE, **RUUUUUUUUUUUUN!** " Ladybug screeched frantically.

Chloe stuttered only for a second before fleeing down the nearest path that would take her behind a set of shops, with Ape-Man tossing a motorcycle after her. Ladybug sprung to her feet and tossed her yoyo out at the pursuing Ape-Man, the weapon wrapping around one of his ankles. With the magical string of the yoyo tightening, Ladybug gave it a strong yank, pulling him backward and had him toppling off his feet, crashing onto his back.

Grunting, he glared at the incoming young fighters as Hawk Moth spoke to him again.

"Get their Miraculouses first, then you can have the little brat!" He sounded a little impatient, given he saw Chloe get in the way and that little bit of distraction gave Ladybug and Chat Noir a chance to recover.

Getting back onto his feet, Ape-Man grabbed the yoyo from his end and pulled it towards him, bringing Ladybug with it. Chat Noir gasped as he saw his lady get slammed onto the ground beside the monstrous beast. There was no way he was going to let his dear friend get killed, now was the time to step in. Extending his baton to an incredible length, Chat Noir swung himself upwards high in the air and outstretched both of his legs together as he roared down like a rocket at tremendous speed, his eyes glowing intensely.

His feet connected hard with the Ape-Man's head, letting out a loud crack upon contact. Rather than brag about his success, Chat retracted his baton, leapt off the head of the stunned beast, and grabbed Ladybug and her fallen yoyo, both dive rolling to the right to dodge an incoming fist from above, though the shockwave sent them flying out a little bit further, sending them rolling across the ground. Rubbing his head and snorting in pain, Ape-Man lunged towards the stunned pair.

Reacting quickly, Chat Noir brought up his baton and extended it from left to right as Ape-Man brought both his fists down on top of them both. Chat grunted and buckled against the pressure he was pushing against, feeling his feet crushing the concrete ground beneath them. Seeing her friend was in quite a bit of pain, a Ladybug swung her yoyo out and wrapped it around a damaged car door. Using the combined strength and magic in her, Ladybug heaved and swung it over her's and Chat's heads, sending the big projectile crashing into Ape-Man's face, knocking him back a few feet. Chat gasped in relief at the lack of the large pressure he was pressing against moments earlier, though he stumbled back a bit in shock from the aching pains of his muscles. Ladybug looked concerned for him as she placed her hand on his shoulder, being tender and gentle.

"Chat, are you okay?" she asked with a lot of worry evident in her voice.

Despite a forced smile and chuckle, Chat's tone was a lot lower than the expression he was giving off to his lady.

"I'm fine, M'Lady, a few aching muscles ain't gonna stop me from giving you a hand" he reassured, though the confidence in his tone was weak.

Once again Adrien was afraid, afraid of letting out his full strength. But he couldn't risk letting his destructive powers go upwards and beyond off the charts, no way would he risk that and get anyone else hurt.

Before Ladybug could voice her protest, a grunt and hiss of pain caught her's and Chat's instant attention. Looking ahead, they saw the Ape-Man's face now baring a deep cut on one cheek, probably from shards of glass from that damaged car door. A nervous twisty feeling knotted in Ladybug's and Chat's stomachs as he came towards them once more...

Then to their surprise, a cylinder shaped object rolled across their path a few feet ahead. It literally came out of nowhere, with no sign of any other person in the now empty street square. Giving it a split second of a glance, the pair gasped out loud as the object unleashed a large cloud of smoke!

"What in the..." Ladybug paused as she spluttered for a second, "Who threw that?! Who's using smoke-bombs around here?!"

"Hopefully somebody on our side!" Cat Noir cried, "Let's hang back until it clears!"

The two Paris-based heroes ran for it before the smoke could cloud them. Ape-Man wasn't so lucky, blinded by the smoke and reduced to fits of coughing as he tried to get his bearings. For a moment, he couldn't see anybody but then he felt something slam into his head, knocking him down onto his stomach as he registered the impact of the kick. He rubbed his head tenderly with his huge hands. What had hit him? Or maybe he should be asking WHO had hit him?

He stood back up only to then be karate-chopped in the back by his mysterious attacker and knocked over. Ape-Man grunted in annoyance, searching for his opponent. Then he saw something strange, something obscured by the smoke but still able to be made-out. It was a figure lurking in the mist but the figure didn't look like Ladybug or Cat Noir. Rather it looked like some giant bat. He could make out the ears and white eyes but not much else. But Ape-Man could see that he had somebody standing there and thus he lashed out.

"Ape-Man crush bat-thing!" he cried.

But the figure weaved out of the way and slammed an elbow into the akumatized man's shoulder, making him cry out in pain.

"Not Bat-thing...Batman." the mystery person corrected.

Up on a nearby rooftop, a recovering Ladybug and Chat Noir watched on in shock as they saw who their saviour was. It was Batman! Chat Noir was jaw dropped while Ladybug placed an excited hand over her mouth, not believing what they were seeing .

"He...he's actually here...Batman's here, in Paris!" Chat gasped in shock and joy. He always followed the Batman news blog that was run by a certain bunch of youngsters over in America, though he didn't follow it as much as he followed the Ladyblog.

"I can't believe it either...c'mon, Chat, let's give him a hand!" she ordered as she swung her yoyo outwards at a nearby lamppost, with Chat sliding down the side of the building on a drain pipe.

With Batman, he dodged incoming blows the Ape-Man sent towards him. Given his experience with Clayface and Killer Croc, Batman had little trouble in dodging them, but he doubted he'd be able to flip Ape-Man over his back. But that didn't mean he could still pound the crap out of him through another way.

Jumping backwards to avoid a double fist slam, Batman brought out his taser knuckles, slipped them over his gloved knuckles and slammed them into Ape-Man's sides, sending powerful bolts of electricity running through the eight foot monster, then he pulled his hands back and swung his boot upwards into Ape-Man's chin, sending him crashing into the car behind him.

That was when Ladybug and Chat Noir joined his side.

"We're right beside ya Batman!" Cat Noir cried, his tone almost fanboyish.

The bat-themed superhero glanced to his left and right, noticing the two teen-heroes beside him. To him, they almost looked like lost members of the Teen Titans. If they were in Gotham, they'd fit right into the team.

"You've heard of me then." he said bluntly.

"We sure have." Ladybug said, twirling her trademark around, "Who in the world HASN'T heard of at least one member of the Justice League?" she added, smirking.

"Point taken." Batman replied, "And you two are Paris's local heroes no doubt."

"Do we look local?" Cat Noir chuckled.

"Very funny." Batman murmured, "So what's with the gorilla man?" he asked, glancing over at Ape-Man as the simian man-beast picked himself up from behind the car.

"He's been akumatized." Ladybug explained, "Akumas are little butterflies that corrupt people and make them into supervillains. They're always hidden in a certain object the akuma victim wears. For Ape-Man here, we think it's in his ring."

"So we get the ring and destroy it." the Gotham vigilante estimated, "That'll put an end to his corruption if I'm correct to assume?"

"You got it!" the response came from Cat Noir.

"Then we have to get the ring off of him..." Batman murmured.

Ladybug smiled as she gotten her yoyo ready again.

"I know just the thing." she assured as she swung her weapon in the air.

"LUCKY CHARM!" she shouted.

Batman was a little stunned to see a flash of pink occur in the night sky, watching as some sort of object emerged from the yoyo, both items dropping down into Ladybug's hands; a huge piece of rope, which made the trio frown.

"How's that meant to help us?" Batman questioned in a sharp tone, not a shred of any other emotion to his voice.

"Just give her a second, she always figures it out" Chat reassured.

Humming to herself, Ladybug looked around as her Lucky Sight kicked in. She was drawn to Batman's utility belt, where she spotted his grappling gun, which highlighted itself in red with black dots. She then looked at a set of lampposts, highlighting in the same colour. The idea quickly kicked into her head, making her grin "That's it!" She turned to Batman and pointed at the well hidden holster that held his grappling gun "I've got a plan and it involves your gun. Willing to listen?" she asked in a calm and positive tone. Batman couldn't help but inwardly smile; she certainly lived up to her reputation and it was clear to him that she had been down this road plenty of times. That and her attitude kinda reminded him of Flash's, so that made him more comfortable in placing his trust into the young girl.

"Alright, I'm listening." he said.

As the trio worked out their plan, Ape-Man dragged himself up and frowned as he looked at them. He was about to lunge forward, only for the energy form of a butterfly to appear over his face. That meant Hawk Moth was talking to him again, but this time his voice was full of utter surprise as Ape-Man locked onto the Dark Knight.

"What the!? That's...the Batman!? What's he doing here? Have he and the Justice League decided to take action against me?" his words were mostly aimed at himself, full of surprise and a tiny hint of fear.

Of course, if the Justice League were to try and sniff him out, then he was in for a lot of trouble. But there was no way he was going down without a fight! Soon enough he found his words again and spoken to his minion.

"Bring them down, Ape-Man! Do whatever you want to Batman but make sure you get me those Miraculouses!" he demanded.

Ape-Man nodded, understanding his master perfectly. He flexed his muscles, preparing to attack again. Batman was the first to notice this and he reacted incredibly quickly. He drew out a Batarang and tossed it towards the ape monster. The bat-shaped weapon spun through the air and then sliced across Ape-Man's shoulder, leaving a vicious cut in his flesh. It was as if somebody had drawn a red line across his shoulder with a ruler. Angered, Ape-Man lumbered towards his opponents once more. He had his fangs bared, ready to snatch anybody up.

"APE-MAN RIP APART BATMAN!" he bellowed.

Little did the gorilla-human hybrid realize was that Batman had only done this to distract him. He was merely baiting Ape-Man away from Ladybug as she was setting up the trap that they had planned for their opponent. She was on top of one of the lampposts and tying one end of the rope to it. The spotty heroine watched as Ape-Man chased after Batman, amazed at the speed the black-clad crime fighter moved at. She'd heard much about Batman's speed and agility but never could she have anticipated that he was this good! He moved like somebody who had no limits to his energy and stamina.

"It's amazing to watch this legend in action..." she mused as she finished tying up the knot.

"You and me both milady." Cat Noir agreed.

The feline-themed hero watched on as Batman leapt over Ape-Man's shoulder and landed behind him. He took off just as Ape-Man swiped at him. If the punch had hit Batman, he would've knocked him off his feet. Batman tossed another Batarang at his opponent but Ape-Man had anticipated the attack so he moved out of the way. While Ladybug was working on the ropes on the lampposts, Cat Noir decided he would help Batman keep his bodyguard-turned-villain at bay. He watched as the two headed towards a truck that had been knocked over. Maybe that would come in handy. Grinning, Cat Noir ran towards it whilst yelling out his own special attack.

"CATACLYSM!" he cried.

As he did that, spots of black energy surrounded his gloved hands. He now quite literally had "the touch of death". One touch and he could make anything decay and crumble, which was what made his power so dangerous and why he had to restrain himself accordingly. Cat Noir rushed over to the truck just as Batman and Ape-Man turned and ran towards it. Batman leapt onto the truck and then jumped off of it again, landing just as Cat Noir rushed by him and placed his hand squarely against the truck. This caused the entire vehicle to crumble and fall apart like a poorly-built sandcastle on the beach. Ape-Man had just stood on it as Cat Noir had activated his power, causing him to fall over in surprise as the vehicle he'd just stepped on fell apart beneath him. Batman turned around, impressed with what he'd just seen. He glanced over at Cat Noir.

"Nice power." he complimented.

"Thanks, it's really quite handy in scrapes like this." Cat Noir said casually.

"Certainly slowed him down a bit." Batman noted, glancing at Ape-Man as he was standing back up. He then glanced back over at Ladybug, who waved at him. "I think Ladybug maybe done now. Let's lure him over to our trap."

Ladybug had indeed finished. There was a criss cross web of ropes stretched out from all around the lampposts nearby. Step one as set up, now for step-two. Batman and Cat Noir took flight, bounding over towards the web as Ape-Man chased after them. As soon as they ran under the ropes, Batman stopped, turned and ran back towards Ape-Man. He had a section of Ladybug's rope in his hand and he had wrapped it around his grappling gun. He wrapped the rope around Ape-Man's right wrist, tying the knot tightly so that it would stay attached. Ape-Man growled and as about to punch Batman until Cat Noir walloped his left hand away with his staff. That gave Batman time to aim his grappling fun at the knot in the middle of the rope web above and fire.

A loud bang startled the akuma-villain as the gun fired a long nylon cord with a claw attached out from its barrel. The cord wrapped around the knot and because the gun was tied to a rope that was also tied to Ape-Man's wrist, it pulled his arm upwards. Ape-Man was startled as his arm was suddenly yanked up, leaving him unable to move away from the spot he was in. He tugged but the rope around the lampposts was tough and the lampposts would take too long to bend for him to break free. Ape-Man roared his disapproval and pulled violently, trying to wrench his hand free. But even he wasn't strong enough to break out of the trap he'd fallen into.

This gave Batman the perfect chance to reach up and snatch away the ring that contained the akuma on Ape-Man's finger. The gorilla-human growled at his nocturnal opponent and tried to attack him but Batman weaved out of the way in time to dodge.

"Ladybug, catch!" he cried, tossing it over to the red and black crime fighter.

Ladybug swiftly caught it as she ran across the battleground. Sighing in relief, she dropped the ring to the floor and stamped on it as hard as she could. A crack of metal was heard, allowing the spotty heroine to remove her foot and see the ring was split in half, and the akuma literally flew out of it. Chat Noir grinned as he stood beside Batman, who watched on with a hint of curiosity on his masked features.

"Trust me, you'll love this part" Chat winked as he watched on admirably.

Ladybug opened up her yoyo, the inside glowing a heavenly white as it dropped to a foot above the ground, catching the akuma she had freed from it.

"No more evil doing for you, little akuma!" she smirked.

She swung the yoyo around herself and grinned.

"Time to de-evilise!" she cried as she swung it about a bit more, a pink glow growing into a flash as she swung it outwards. Coming to a halt, the bluenette heroine opened up the yoyo, the akuma no longer a gloomy purple, but pure white like how it was before Hawk Moth weaponized it with his magic. Ladybug gave a small wave at it as it flew off into the night sky.

"Bye bye, petite papillon" she said softly, glad to see the innocence of the creature restored to it.

The rope she had used then appeared into her hands, it's work done. Now came the next part that honestly surprised Batman.

"MIRACULOUS LADYBUG!" with that heroic yell, Ladybug tossed the rope into the sky, making Batman watch in silent wonder with Chat Noir as it exploded into a bright pink energy wave.

He might've seen the following on the news, but just seeing it now really made the Caped Crusader resist the urge to drop his jaw in amazement as he saw the pink magic energy swirl by all of the locations damaged by the battle. One wave of the energy going over the damaged sections and they were completely restored to normal; all damaged cats were shining like they were brand new, craters in the road vanished in an instant, replaced by a normal looking, completed road, and lampposts that were knocked over were standing straight and tall once more in a split second. Batman had to admit, that was incredible! Even Flash was slower at repairing stuff on that rate and he was the fastest man alive! The whole scenario ade the Dark Knight mentally suggest to himself he ought to find such artefacts to restore damaged parts of Gotham back to normal.

But now Ladybug and Chat Noir were in for a shock themselves. As they watched Ape-Man turn back to normal in a cloud of purple smoke, along with the broken ring getting restored, Chat Noir's jaw dropped a few feet as he saw, lying there in the Ape-Man's place, was his bodyguard, the Gorilla. The buff man shot his head up, daze and confusion on his aged face. Chat Noir could barely believe it. It was his bodyguard this whole time!?

Ladybug honestly couldn't believe it either. Given how much she likes Adrien and has grown closer to him as of late, she gotten to know a little bit more about his bodyguard. As far as she was concerned, he was like a thick stone wall that could never get damaged, not even suffer a scratch. What could've made him fall victim to an akuma, she wondered? Little did she know, however, Chat Noir finally pieced it together in his head...but he couldn't let the cat out of the bag just yet.

Batman approached the big man as Ladybug and Chat Noir crouched beside him, with Chat helping him sit up, deep concern evident on his face.

"Are you okay, sir? You remember anything?" he softly asked.

He honestly couldn't help but let Adrien's persona come in at this point. This was someone who he actually really appreciated being around, so he was bound to show deeper concern than usual.

The Gorilla looked at the three heroes, clearly looking worried that he'd done something bad. His tough demeanour had vanished, worry sketched all over his face. Would he end up locked away for ever for this? Would he end up fired by his boss? He didn't know what would happen but he couldn't help but be concerned.

"You don't need to worry big guy." Ladybug said gently, "It wasn't you who did all that. It was the akuma that corrupted you."

"I doubt the rest of the city will see it that way." Batman muttered, "We may well need to find out who's responsible for this so-called "akuma" and make him publicly confess so the city knows for a fact it wasn't him the whole time."

"I'm sure Paris will understand. They usually do when it comes to akuma victims." Cat Noir said reassuringly.

"Nevertheless, let's get this man back to where he lives." Batman decided, "I think it'll be best to keep him out of the spotlight for now."

"Good thinking Batman." Ladybug replied. She then smiled cheekily at him and Cat Noir, adding, "I've always wanted to say that."

Cat Noir snickered whereas Batman said nothing. He helped the two teens get the Gorilla back onto his feet so they could lead him home. Unbeknownst to anybody, the whole fight had been observed secretly by The Riddler. After fleeing his taxi, he had taken up a hiding place underneath a parked car and had watched every thing from Ape-Man's rampage to the two heroes battling it out with him and most sickening of all, Batman's arrival. Seeing the Dark Knight had made him feel like tearing his own hair out. Why on Earth had Batman followed him here?! Did he even know he was here or was his arrival sheer coincidence? Nevertheless, he knew that he had to keep a VERY low profile if Batman was here. He couldn't show his hand just yet, not while he hadn't even had time to settle down in his safe house!

The puzzle master watched with relief as the super-trio walked away with the Gorilla. He was now safe to come out. He crawled out from under the car and adjusted his glasses. He almost doubted what he had witnessed, wondering if he'd imagined it all. But given what happened in Gotham, he knew perfectly that anything crazy happened in the world. Nothing was extraordinary anymore, this was pretty normal compared to what he was used to. He then stroked his beard in thought, taking in what he'd seen.

"So the shaved monkey shows up, probably because of me. That's a big concern of course but I'll deal with him in due time." The Riddler declared, "However...those kid-heroes are a different breed altogether. Those powers of there's are admirable and they appear to have SOME level of intelligence. A tiny level of course but still some level. I think I'll have just as much fun testing my intellect on them as much as Batman. Or maybe even I could make them a part of my games..."

He then hummed to himself and nearly smacked his own face in surprise.

"Oh! That taxi better still be there! I can just use it to drive to the safe house myself! Better that way, because I can spend more of my money on making more of my delightful gadgets!" with that little conversation with himself over and done with, the Riddler fled down the way he came from.

* * *

Iris West beamed pleasantly as she saw the night walking citizens of Paris return to the streets that was a battleground a few minutes earlier, all of the citizens cheering happily at the victory their saviours and Batman achieved. Iris looked at the camera in front of her, unknown that a dangerous individual had been watching the entire live footage she was helping present to all of the world.

"Well, another akuma victim has been restored to normal, Paris has been saved once again, and this time a touch of Gotham gave a hand. No doubt the Ladyblog will be running strife with onlookers' reports from the scene. More updates will be coming your way, viewers. I'm Iris West, good day to all of you" she pleasantly said, the news changing over another topic on hand.

But the television soon found itself in the hands of the Joker, who was rattling it about like a young baby with its rattler toy, a massive grin on his face.

"NOW THAT IS WHAT I CALL MAGIC! Oh Bats, you were the star of the night, as you always are!"

He then stepped back and ran an ecstatic hand through his green hair, a slightly unhappy look on his chalk white skin now, but certainly a crazy look still ever present in his haunting yellow eyes.

"But it still doesn't make any sense, and I don't like making sense of anything as logic belongs in the trash for all I care! Why is he there!? Why leave the juniors managing Gotham while he flies off over to Paris!? Oh Bats, Bats, zee Bats, why!?" He rambled madly to himself as he tried to think things over.

Never underestimate the Joker about anything, whether it be his dweeby look, his mad attitude, his outfit, or the words he said. For one, he was a lot stronger than he looked, having been heavily skilled in hand to hand combat as he's fought Batman to a standstill multiple times. For two, he was VERY intelligent. Even now he was trying to fool goodness knows who into thinking he was nothing more but a daft moron that seemed overly obsessed with Batman. But he was a smart man, and everything would piece together in his odd mind.

As he drew his hands away from his chin, a thoughtful look came to his eyes and a smile tugged on his red coated lips.

"Of course. He's there on business, like he usually is! Wonder who skipped over the Atlantic this time? Penguin forming a midget mafia over there? Bane running arms deals? Or is he there to recruit those two little children?" he declared.

The Joker tapped his chin as he sat back in his chair, staring intently at the news images of Ladybug and Chat Noir.

"A little bat in the back of my mind is telling me those two aren't what they seem. They might prove very handy, Nancy..." he purred.

He had watched Ladybug and Cat Noir in action, impressed with the magic trick that the spotty heroine had appeared to perform. He made a mental note to try and perform such a trick himself so that he could destroy Gotham. He began to wonder how much fun it'd be to play with the French heroes.

"No doubt it'll be as fun as Batman's bird-boy and his joy club!" he cackled, "Maybe they'll be as fun as Jason Todd was! I'll remember to bring my crowbar in that regard...heh, heh, heh, heh!"

His crazed, psychotic mind had come to a decision, and it was a decision that Batman would not have been happy to hear had he been here watching The Joker now. He leapt up to his feet and pointed to nobody in particular.

"Well Bats can't hide from me!" he cried, "I'm coming over to Paris myself and I'll dish out my very own brand of crazy for that snail-eating, frog-loving, croissant guzzling, cowardly yellow-bellied country to enjoy and cry in fear at! And then I'll take care of those two teenage wannabes too! Maybe that'll piss Batman right the hell off! AH, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA!"

His crazed laughter echoed around the room. The moment The Joker stopped laughing, another thought crossed his mind. His face broke into one of the widest grins he'd ever grinned as he made a decision. A decision that was going to see terror inflicted upon the people of Paris. A decision that would affect not just Batman, but Ladybug and Cat Noir too...

"Time to pack my bags and get some tickets!" the clown criminal announced, "I'm going on a little vacation..."

* * *

 _ **Oh...shit...The Joker's coming to France! THE JOKER. IS. COMING. TO. FRANCE! 0_0**_

 _ **...I don't even wanna think about what will happen next! Still, be sure to tune in next time as Batman gets to know France's teen heroes better and The Joker arrives in the City of Love...**_


	4. Chapter 3: Superhero Meeting

**Chapter 3: Superhero Meeting**

While Paris was recovering from the chaos that had been caused by Ape-Man, the villain who had started the whole thing was standing alone in his lair with a horde of butterflies surrounding him. Hawk Moth's gaze had narrowed, full of rage and anger at how miserably Ape-Man had failed. How many times would he have to try this thing in order to get the Miraculouses?! One would've thought he'd have succeeded by now! Hawk Moth banged his cane down against the floor, sending the butterflies scattering in fright. They danced around him almost like fairy lights in the semi-light of the moon that beamed through the window.

"I was so close...so close!" the purple-clad Miraculous wielder ranted, "I would've gotten those Miraculouses if Ape-Man hadn't gotten distracted earlier! And now one of the Justice League is here, possibly investigating me!"

He growled angrily. The fact Batman, the World's Greatest Detective, was here in France just made things even worse. He had heard much of Batman and the Justice League and had hoped he wouldn't catch their attention. Of course, nobody knew what he looked like so nobody would be able to track him down or identify him if they were to go looking for him but Batman was notorious for working out even the trickiest of crimes. The Dark Knight could find him and ruin everything! Glaring up at the moon above, Hawk Moth sighed.

"I may have to lay low, maybe until Batman leaves so he doesn't come after me..." he thought, "Or maybe I could get one of my akumas to corrupt someone and have them kill the Batman before he can probe around looking for me. Decisions, decisions..." he purred, a sadistic grin creeping across his face.

But then another thought came to his mind as he looked back on the events of the night. While he mostly saw Batman in newspapers, this was the first time he actually gotten to see the full view of him and seeing him in action. A question escaped his lips as he smoothed his masked chin in thought.

"I wonder...could he have a Miraculous? Master Fu's box might only have a certain amount...but the book could show me more. I need to take another look to see what exactly the other Miraculouses are capable of..." he clenched his fists as another dazzling thought entered his mind: if Batman truly was another Miraculous user, then surely the skills he displayed that night were thanks to his Miraculous!

"If that man of justice is another Miraculous wielder, I can obtain and be even more powerful! Combine that with the Ladybug and Chat Miraculouses and I'll be even more powerful! And then nothing will stop me from becoming a God! Not even Superman will be able to stop me! HeheheheHAHAHAHA!" he laughed loudly as the window's door closed, encasing him in utter darkness.

* * *

Not too far away, the heroic trio were busy helping the Gorilla return to the Agreste Mansion. Unsurprisingly, he didn't say much, which made Batman assume he wasn't much of a social person at all. Ladybug, however, was quite surprised with how gentle Chat was treating the Gorilla. He was mostly like this with much younger akuma victims, but often tried to cheer others up with his cheesy humour. Something seemed odd about him this time.

As soon as the trio had approached the mansion, the allowed the Gorilla to continue forward by himself. He trudged the rest of the way, climbing up the steps towards the mansion. The muscular man looked over his shoulder, his face still full of concern. Cat Noir just smiled back at him, trying to reassure the Gorilla.

"Don't worry about it. Everything will be OK big guy." he insisted.

The Gorilla wasn't entirely sure if he believed that himself but he couldn't ignore the kindness in the black-clad hero's words. They were greatly comforting to him and give him a shred of hope that he'd be fine. Nodding, the Gorilla turned and walked into the mansion. As soon as the door closed behind him, Ladybug put a hand on Cat Noir's shoulder.

"You seem awfully sympathetic towards him." she noted, "Is there something wrong Cat?"

Cat Noir fell silent for a moment, wondering how best to answer the question. Of course the true answer was because the Gorilla was his bodyguard but saying that would just give his identity away. He thought of something to say and came up with just the right thing. He shrugged.

"He just seemed awfully upset and afraid about what he did." he replied, "I'm just trying to assure him it'll be fine that's all."

"That's very considerate of you Cat Noir." Ladybug said approvingly, "Very noble and generous of you. I'm sure the press would like to hear what a big heart you have."

"Not as big as the love hearts that come to my eyes whenever I see you." Cat Noir snickered teasingly.

"Heh, nice try feline boy." Ladybug retorted, shoving him playfully.

Batman had watched the whole thing with curious interest. He was pleased to see that the two teen heroes lived up to their reputation as good-hearted, strong-willed and selfless heroes but watching them interact brought him pleasant memories of Robin and the youthful energy he used to bring to his career when he was his sidekick. It also made Batman think of the Teen Titans too. Ladybug and Cat Noir would fit right into the team if they ever met, that much was certain. He put his thoughts aside as he remembered the reason why he was in France. He had to tell them now for their sake.

"If it's OK with you two, I'd like to have a little talk." Batman announced, "I've got something important that you need to hear."

Just as they turned to him and were about to reply, a pair of bleeping sounds were heard, alarming the two magical heroes. Out of instinct, Ladybug went for her earpieces while Chat went for his ring. Batman raised an eyebrow in slight confusion.

"Mind if I ask what that is?" He asked in his normal stern voice, though trying hard not to push it. Ladybug gave him a sorry look.

"That's our Miraculouses. They do that when they're nearly out of energy" she explained shortly to him.

"Basically if we don't get moving in the next minute, you're gonna find out who we are, and the same goes for me and M'Lady" Chat added on.

That seemed to surprise Batman. For a while he just thought they were wearing spandex outfits that they made by themselves, so to see that they had a certain amount of time to be their heroic alter egos came as another bit of surprise news for the Dark Knight, who gave them a respecting nod.

"I understand. Can you recharge them and meet me elsewhere?" he requested, being ever so patient with the two youngsters, both of whom nodded.

"There's a school nearby, we can meet on its roof over there" Ladybug said quickly as she began to creep into the shadows, clearly nervous about Chat Noir and Batman possibly seeing her true self.

"Sounds fair to me. I'll see you there" with that response, Batman gotten out his grappling gun and fired it at the rooftop ledge opposite the Agreste mansion, zipping up it shortly after.

After Chat watched him go, he turned to see Ladybug retreating further into the shadows, her Miraculous beeping frantically. Part of him wanted to urge her to stay so he could see who she truly was under that red mask of hers, but given they had a visiting superhero, and Ladybug was always insistent they kept their identities a secret from each other, he felt it was best not to push it. Instead, he flashed her a charming smile and a quick bow.

"See you there soon, M'Lady." he bid as he turned around and crept into the nearest set of shadows.

Ladybug watched Cat Noir leave before disappearing herself. A part of her wanted to reveal who she was for she'd often wondered how Cat Noir would react if he knew. But in the end, it was for the best. If they didn't know their identities, it was easier to keep the secret up.

As Batman swung away from the Agreste mansion, he briefly turned back and noticed that Ladybug and Cat Noir were gone. He turned away, knowing that he would meet them again very shortly. As he aimed his grappling gun, he realized just how much these two heroes were like the heroes he knew. They were not only selfless and courageous but they had a strict rule of never exposing their identities. It reminded Batman a little of himself for he often stressed the point of never letting anybody know who he really was. But Ladybug and Cat Noir seemed even stricter about that rule. Batman had allowed his sidekicks and closest allies find out who he really was and share the secret between them but the insect and feline-themed heroes kept their identities so secret they didn't even let each other know them. Over time, Batman had come to learn that not all heroes operated the same way and he had grown to accept it. Why did it matter as long as they got the job done?

His thoughts now over with, Batman fired his grappling gun and swung off into the night. It wasn't over yet and he knew it. He hoped that Ladybug and Cat Noir would take the news well and prepare for The Riddler's possible attack...

Speaking of the riddle-obsessed maniac, he had finally reached his safe house. It was located near the River Seine just north of the Eiffel Tower and looked very inconspicuous. The person who had built it for The Riddler had been instructed to make it look as uninteresting as possible so that nobody would ever think of looking for him here. The building had a very generic appearance with nothing interesting about it whatsoever. There were few windows and they were darkened so nobody could look into them. There was a door but other than that, the house was very featureless on the outside. That's what made it the perfect hiding spot for The Riddler. Nobody would ever think to look for him here since he was known for being very unsubtle about his hiding places and methods. Usually The Riddler felt the need to advertise himself and make as big a scene as possible. But not this time. The Riddler had learnt from this mistake and now relied on hideouts that looked very ordinary.

As soon as he'd arrived, the question-loving criminal walked up to the front door. The front door looked old and rusty but was in fact very strong and more hi-tech then it looked with a solid metal lock that slid into place to lock the door whenever The Riddler was away. There was a "welcome" mat which served a whole new purpose from being a decoration. There was a sheet of glass underneath the mat and under the glass was a sophisticated scanner that read the soles of The Riddler's feet. The scanner was so powerful that it could detect feet and provide 100% accurate and detailed scans despite the fact a straw mat was on top of it. The door itself had a hidden scanner in the frame that read The Riddler's features from his facial structure to his frame and even his DNA. The scans registered positive, it was The Riddler and he was allowed in the house. If anybody BUT The Riddler tried to get in, the scans would've picked up and activated a defence system that would see the would-be-intruders fried to a crisp. The puzzle-master knew that Batman would find some way around it but he had the defence systems installed just to make sure anybody else couldn't get in.

The door unlocked itself and opened, allowing the house's owner to walk inside. Smiling to himself, The Riddler walked in.

"Man that Edison guy wasn't kidding when he said the safe house's features were top-notch..." he purred.

It certainly looked very stylish, like a completely newly built living room inside, decorated with a touch of 19th century decorations of dark paint, a golden chandelier, with a world globe sitting next to an armchair, a bookshelf holding multiple books, and a decent fireplace in the centre of the room. The Riddler was a man with a taste for history and knowledge, so he had a fair mix of that with this room.

Instead of setting his briefcase down, however, the riddling man made his way into the next room that the current room connected to. Flipping the light switch, he smiled in delight as the light cast his favourite colour to give the room a more fantastical like atmosphere: the colour green. Often such a mixed received colour, sometimes seen as a sign of illness or poison, while others saw it as a beautiful representation of nature. For the Riddler, green was the colour designated for smart people like himself. He hated to admit it, but he was glad a bizarre looking man like the Joker was indeed very intelligent, to the point the Riddler saw his green hair as a gift from the power being's of intelligence.

This room was set up in the mix of a workshop and a lab, with multiple construction tools lying about, while the stereotypical scientific tools laid about, like measuring tubes, bunce and burner, fire extinguishers, and many more. For the Riddler this was the closest thing he could get as a full blown Christmas present. Grinning like the nasty man he was at heart, he set the briefcase on the nearest table and flipped it open to gaze upon its contents.

"Now to set up one of my many planned puzzles to perplex the Dark Knight with..." he crowed.

The briefcase contained some tiny question mark shaped robots that were all equipped with helicopter rotors. Anybody looking at them would've assumed they were just another example of The Riddler's fanatical obsession with puzzles. But only the quiz-master himself knew their true purpose. He picked up the first robot and admired it through his purple glasses. What a feat of marvelous engineering this was! And to think he'd come up with the idea behind the robots.

"And people question my genius..." The Riddler muttered, "Well we'll see who questions who's genius when I put my killer puzzles to the test!"

He then used some tweezers to pick up something very small from the briefcase. It was a circular disc that looked almost like one of those circular batteries you could find in shops. Carefully, he attached the disc to the first question mark robot. The disc was magnetic so it stuck to the robot's metal casing without any problems.

"I wonder who's phone will go off with a bang when I send all these out?" he crooned menacingly, "What I wouldn't give to see Batman's face when he fails to figure it out like the dim-witted nimrod he is!"

He rubbed his hands together in an excitable fit, almost picturing the Dark Knight's stunned expression. Villains these days rarely ever gotten a chance to humiliate the Dark Knight, the last person ever pulling off such a feat was Bane, who famously crushed Batman's spine that fateful night a few years back. The Riddler, however, rarely gotten a chance to beat the Dark Knight with his genius skills, but the following days would soon change that and he would hope it would haunt the Dark Knight for the rest of his life...

* * *

Meanwhile, Batman had found the school that Ladybug and Cat Noir had told him about. He had used his grappling hook to swing over to the educational establishment and he now stood on the roof, allowing the night breeze to play with his wide spreading cape. He often enjoyed the way it felt when it blew about in the wind.

The school was large, clearly suggesting it had many classrooms and establishments for the world of education and high up so nobody had any chance of overhearing the conversation that was soon to take place that very night. Little did Batman realize was the school he was standing upon right now was the school that Ladybug and Cat Noir attended when they weren't too busy saving the world. In a sense, it's what made the meeting point so appropriate. To Batman, it just seemed like somewhere very convenient to meet up.

As Batman waited for the local superheroes to appear, he gazed out at the sights before him. France was such a beautiful country and Paris was a very beautiful city. Gotham couldn't possibly compare to the beautiful sights of Paris he was looking at now. He could see all the landmarks from the Eiffel Tower to the Notre Dame Cathedral, the setting place for Victor Hugo's literary masterpiece The Hunchback of Notre Dame. He even saw the River Seine and many of the city's amenities such as restaurants, shops and more all around. It made Batman feel a little sad inside. Why couldn't he just be here and enjoy the view for a change? He didn't often wish such things but for now, he wished he could be here just to make the most of France as opposed to being here to hunt down a runaway Gotham criminal. He had to give The Riddler credit though, he sure picked nice places to hide. But that just made finding him all the more important.

"I won't let The Riddler cause any chaos in this city..." Batman vowed, "He's caused enough trouble in Gotham, I can't let him spread his tyranny here too."

He was snapped out of his thoughts by the distinctive whining sound of a yo-yo launching out and wrapping around something. Batman didn't even turn around as two people climbed up onto the school's roof and approached him. He already knew who they were.

"You took ten minutes to recharge. That's impressive." he complimented, "Not many heroes recharge so quickly after using their power."

"Let's just say that we're lucky that our Miraculouses don't require a particular power source." Cat Noir joked.

"And the fact that said power source is something edible and readily available." Ladybug added.

She glanced out at the scenery around them, glad that she had chosen this spot for the meeting. The lovely sights made everything more pleasant to her.

"Sure is a beautiful night isn't it?" she asked contently.

"Very." Batman replied bluntly.

"Are you usually this stoic?" Cat Noir jeered, "Seriously dude, I heard you were a closed-off fellow but surely you can lighten up a bit?"

"Cat, don't wind him up." Ladybug said firmly, "Not everybody's as laid back as you. So then Batman...you wanted to tell us something?" the spotty heroine asked.

The Dark Knight nodded, finally turning to them both as he began to talk.

"Yes, I do. I'm not here to meet you two, exactly. I'm here for a proper reason, and it's something I cannot leave be" he said as he went for his utility belt, this time pulling out a small rectangular object that he could slip into the palm of his hands.

Clicking a button in the side, however, the object increased in size, the sound of electronics coming from inside the device as it slid into multiple sections, getting bulkier by the second. Ladybug and Chat Noir watched on in stunned silence as it finished its transformation, revealing it to be a pad of sorts.

"I want one of those..." Chat whispered, a hint of jealousy in his voice.

Batman had to resist the urge to chuckle. It was rare he met someone new, but back when he first met the likes of Robin, Spoiler, and Flash, he would always get this kinda reaction when he showed off his incredible gadgets, like he was the boy with the coolest toy in the toy store and he just purchased it.

Back to business, though. This was a serious meeting. He went into a certain file that held info regarding his rogues gallery. Opening the file that said "Vanished from Gotham" he scrolled the screen down to a link and clicked on it. Just a second of loading and an image of the Riddler appeared. He turned the screen around for Ladybug and Chat Noir to see.

"I'm looking for this man. He calls himself the Riddler, but his real name is Edward Nygma. He escaped from Arkham Asylum recently, but I've managed to track him here. He might look...weird, but don't let his appearance underestimate you two" he explained to them, his voice as stern as always.

"No need to tell us about underestimating him. We've had enough experience that's taught us to never underestimate our enemies, whether they look serious or not." Ladybug replied as she and Chat took a good look at the Riddler, "So, judging by his name, and from what we've heard that goes on in Gotham City, he uses riddles to try and beat you from solving a crime." the red clad hero assumed, to which Batman nodded.

"Very much so, and not all of my battles with him have been that easy" he replied, his voice dropping to a grim tone as he remembered having a few close shaves with the Riddler.

"But why has he come to Paris of all places?" Chat questioned, his green eyes sharp with curiosity.

"I presume he's here to hide." Batman murmured, "I had my former sidekick go in disguise at Gotham Airport to see where he was going and he informed me he was flying to Paris. So that's why I'm here now. The Riddler is a cowardly man but a very dangerous man at the same time thanks to his great intelligence and his insanity. If he's here in Paris, he's either resting up for his next meeting with me or he's planning on turning this city into a big game to prove his intellectual superiority to the world."

"So in other words, if we don't catch this guy, we may well be asking the question of "What happens if The Riddler terrorizes Paris" right?" Ladybug asked.

"Yes." Batman replied, "I'm sorry that I have to bring all of this to you two, The Riddler's my responsibility and his brand of craziness shouldn't be brought here."

The two French teens looked at each other as if wondering what the other was thinking. This was possibly a nightmare about to come true for them. One of Gotham's worst criminals was actually here. In France! And possibly waiting to make his move! Hawk Moth was causing enough trouble in France as it was, they didn't need another villain causing chaos! They didn't know The Riddler so he was going to be a completely different monster altogether when they challenged him. Batman of course would be their trump card since he knew The Riddler very well. With any luck, the super-trio could stop him before he asked his first riddle. But then another terrifying thought came to Ladybug's mind.

"Oh no...what if..." she gasped, "Batman, what if Hawk Moth sends out an akuma and akumatizes The Riddler?!" she shrieked.

"I had the same thought myself..." Batman murmured grimly, "I'm not familair with akumas and Hawk Moth's abilities like you are but from what I've seen, I don't wanna think about what will happen if The Riddler gets corrupted by an akuma. That reminds me..."

He took another device from his belt. It was a miniature recording device that had a design that made it more fitting for Batman's utility belt. It could fold up for easy carrying and he pulled out the microphone section. He held it in front of Ladybug and Cat Noir.

"The Justice League has been concerned about this supposed Hawk Moth for a while and we need to know everything you can tell us about him." he explained, "I need to record your explanations so I can send it off to some friends of mine." he added, motioning to the recorder device, "So do tell me if you wish, what do you know about Hawk Moth and what are the effects of his akumas?"

He switched on the device, a red light flashing to show it was now recording. Ladybug and Chat Noir were at first a little taken aback, not expecting this at all. Part of them both wanted to shrug this off and claim that Hawk Moth honestly wasn't seeking worldwide domination...but they didn't know that. For all they knew, Hawk Moth was plotting his own world domination schemes at this very second! That, and Batman did help them out in defeating the Ape-Man, so it was only fair they return the favour in giving info to the Justice League regarding Hawk Moth and the akumas.

Ladybug spoken first "Well, first of all, we have no idea where he is in Paris, but he definitely is in Paris. Whenever we've had spare time we try to look for him or seek out our own clues, like interviewing former akuma victims and see if they saw what direction the akuma came from. But we sadly couldn't find much..."

She trailed off, a hint of guilt in her voice as she often felt they could've done more in trying to find Hawk Moth, though Chat comforted her with a rub on the shoulder.

"I see...how exactly do the akumas work, though? We didn't really get down to that earlier" Batman pointed out.

That made Ladybug look up at him with a glint in her eyes, realizing what she would provide next would be valuable.

"Well, the akumas target those who have a sudden wave of negative emotions, like if you gotten angry, upset, or hurt about something, Hawk Moth will sense it and send out an akuma. The akumas are actually butterflies, but he fills them with negative magic to spread onto the victim" she explained.

"Yeah, and as you saw tonight, it can totally transform its victim into a much more stronger person, giving them magic powers or enhanced strength and flexibility" Chat added on, having grown observant in his time of battling Hawk Moth's minions.

"We have these charms called Miraculouses and they come with their guardians, or hosts if you wanna put it like that. They're called Kwami, little creatures that represent the animals we're dressed as. My one, Tikki, looks like a ladybug" Ladybug further went on.

"And my Kwami looks like a cat. His name's Plagg" Chat added in.

Batman nodded in response to this, getting quite pleased with the info. It was getting somewhere, so he allowed them to continue after he asked another question "Do you have any idea on what Hawk Moth looks like or what are his exact motivations?"

"He seems to crave world power for he wants mine and Cat Noir's Miraculouses." Ladybug answered, "As for what he looks like...we're not sure. There was a time where a bunch of akumas came together to form an image of his face but that's not much to go on. We really have no idea."

"Unfortunate...thanks very much you two, you've been very helpful." Batman said softly, switching off the device and putting it away, "I'll send the message off to some of my friends to see if they can narrow down the search by what you've told us. Batgirl in particular may find clues that could make it easier to track Hawk Moth down."

"That's really awesome!" Cat Noir cried excitedly, "What will happen when you find out where he is? Will you arrest him?"

"Of course, and we'll take away his Miraculous, if he has one, so he can't cause trouble again." the Gotham vigilante announced.

"No more akumas from him then when that happens." Ladybug said brightly.

"In the meantime, I oughta keep on my toes while I'm here." Batman noted, "I'm quite full of negative emotions myself. Given...my troubled past, I could be easy prey for an akuma if I get pushed in the wrong direction. I'm potentially a danger in that regard so I'll do whatever it takes to make sure I don't fall victim to any akumas."

Ladybug nodded. She did not want to know what it'd feel like to fight a Justice League member. Rumour had it that Batman had managed to fight off enemies even while sick and dying. If Batman got akumatized, Hawk Moth would have quite possibly the best minion ever!

"We'll help you stay positive." the insect themed heroine offered, "That way you won't ever get akumatized!"

"You remind me much of Robin..." Batman mused appreciatively, "He was always right there when I needed him...plus his youthful energy really balanced out my darker side. I think you two will have the same positive impact on me."

"Aw, thanks." Cat Noir said modestly, "Anything for a fellow superhero!"

"Now it's my turn to ask a question." Ladybug suddenly cut in, "So Batman, do tell us...what's the source of your power?" she asked curiously, "Like, do you have a Miraculous of your own or something? Must be a Bat-Miraculous or something! How does it work? Which item is your Miraculous? Is it your belt? What's your special power?"

"You don't mind telling us do you?" Cat Noir asked.

Batman was almost tempted to laugh at the questions he received. He should've expected something like this from Ladybug given his costume's animal motifs. He supposed he did look like a "Miraculous holder" to them. Grinning humorously, he answered.

"I should've expected a question like that." he responded, losing the smile to avoid looking like a jerk, "I'm sorry to disappoint but I do not have a, as you call them, "Miraculous". I'm not a Miraculous wielder and I don't have powers either. I'm just a man in a suit with gadgets at my disposal. I know it sounds underwhelming but that's the honest truth. Not all heroes are Miraculous wielders. Many get their powers from other means like science or radiation. Though I do very much understand why you'd think such a thing about me. I do kinda have that "Miraculous holder" vibe given my appearance."

Ladybug and Chat Noir were stunned by what they were told. Not in a disappointed sense, but really in disbelief. There was no way that he was pulling off all those moves with his own human strength...surely he was lying. He had to be an enhanced human, or at least a super soldier...

"You mean all those moves you were pulling off...no magic to back you up or any special steroids? That was all you?" Chat asked in utter amazement.

Batman gave them a modest nod, trying not to come across as an asshole to the pair of them.

"Normally I'd go into more detail, but it's true. No superpowers or any strength enhancing drugs. I'm just an ordinary human, in a mask, with a lot of training. That's all." he explained, a tiny hint of pride in his voice.

While he was trained by a certain insane ninja and his own league of justice, Batman couldn't help but be grateful for the training he received as it turned him into the powerful human he was to this day.

Ladybug and Chat Noir were almost jaw dropped again, then their faces broke into impressed grins. Batman truly was an impressive person.

"That's...um, w-wow, that's impressive, sir" Ladybug stammered, trying her hardest to hide her Marinette side.

"M'Lady's right, that's just awesome! I mean, I take fencing lessons and I'm sure Bugaboo hits the gym, but what we've seen you do tonight is just totally awesome!" Chat exclaimed, struggling hard to hide the fanboy in him.

Though Batman was a little surprised at these responses, he actually was glad and settled. Already he felt to be a great distance of being harmed from the akumas thanks to the bright attitudes of these two young heroes. And something told him he would be a lot safer during the day. He could already tell that these two spread hope and life throughout Paris whenever they were around or had just saved the day. But then something occurred to him: the hotel! They'd be getting suspicious of why he hadn't turned up! That and he'd need to set up more equipment to help him find the Joker.

With that thought crossing his mind, Batman pocketed his tools and gadgets, to which Ladybug and Chat Noir took notice of.

"I guess this means goodbye for the time being, huh?" the former asked, being polite so as not to step on a nerve.

Batman gave her a quick nod, "I'm afraid so. My associates will be wondering where my alter ego is, so I need to get moving. But this won't be the last time we'll be seeing each other. As you mentioned, Ladybug, it's goodbye for tonight. But we'll see each other again tomorrow night" he replied as he neared the ledge of the school building.

"How about we meet here again tomorrow?" Chat Noir offered, "I mean, you are after the Riddler, this is our city, and you did help us deal with the ape guy tonight. It's only fair we return the favour." he explained a little further.

Batman glanced to him, deciding a few seconds would be okay to spare before he would go to the hotel. "That is a fair point. Something tells me I won't be able to handle this alone, and I'd be idiotic in not accepting your help. If you both happen notice anything strange tomorrow, then contact me"

At this, he gave them two slightly bigger batarangs. Looking down at them, however, the two Parisian superheroes noticed there was a slight opening down the sides of them. They shortly discovered that these ones flipped open, revealing it was like a mini handheld computer, coming with a built in keyboard and a mini screen in case they were to have face to face conversation.

"Alright, we'll keep our eyes peeled. Have a good..." Ladybug trailed off as she and Chat looked up to see there was no trace of the Dark Knight, not in the slightest. Almost as if he was like ghost, who had vanished into the thin air of the darkness. That sent a small chill down their young spines.

"Evening." Ladybug finished, taking another glance down at the bat com once more, before turning around to Chat Noir.

"Well kitty, things seemed to have gotten interesting alright." she noted to him, receiving a curt nod in response.

"Yeah. Seems like the whole world is finally at our doorstep." he replied as he gazed up at the sky, thinking if the Watchtower was looking down at them wherever it was now in the atmosphere of the Earth. Ladybug could tell, however, that something else was on Chat's mind and it was greatly troubling him.

Wanting to see what was unnerving the feline like hero, Ladybug smoothed his arm, bringing him out of his trance.

"Chat, what's wrong? You've been acting odd tonight." she pointed out to him.

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair, not sure how to put it to Ladybug without giving anything away. Knowing he couldn't stay silent forever, though, he found his words.

"It's just...that bodyguard, he works for Gabriel Agreste, and he's quite a hard man. I'm just worried that the guy will end getting fired by him, and that's the last thing I want for the big dude" he explained, his tone full of deep concern for the Gorilla.

Ladybug nodded understandingly. She had met Gabriel during the time Simon Says had attacked. He hadn't been the most pleasant man she'd met and she had heard rumours about his cold attitude. But she was optimistic that the Gorilla would be OK and she put a hand on Cat Noir's shoulder.

"I'm sure he'll understand." she said reassuringly, "Gabriel ended up nearly dead because of an akuma but he knew it wasn't Simon Says's fault. He'll understand that the Gorilla wasn't at fault tonight."

"Maybe he will." Cat Noir said hopefully, "I'll go over there to testify for the big dude should he need it. Be seeing you M'lady."

"Have a good night." Ladybug said cheerfully.

With that said, the two heroes departed and headed off into the night. And they both knew that tonight was going to be a night they'd never forget. Batman himself had come to Paris! That alone made this a night to remember! But they both knew that Batman's presence wasn't all good news and that they had to help him capture the runaway Riddler. The next night was going to be full of hard work, that much was guaranteed...

* * *

"Well, well Master Bruce, that is quite a story." Alfred said in awe, "You're in Paris for five seconds and already something happens! But some good came out of it at least. Meeting the famed Ladybug and Cat Noir themselves is a double bonus!"

"I know Alfred. It was fortuitous that I came across them. They could be very helpful in finding The Riddler since they know the city." Bruce Wayne reported.

Upon arriving at the hotel, he had changed out of his Batman costume and unpacked his luggage. He had brought extra supplies in case his stay had to go on longer than planned so he had enough for his little "holiday" in Paris. The hotel room he had was very spacious and had some very pretty wallpaper that gave it an attractive appearance. There was a large bed that looked more appropriate in a king's castle than a hotel room and a bathroom that was big enough for a whole family. The hotel was a waterfront hotel, standing proudly by the River Seine and it was called the "Hotel Le Louis", a fitting name for a French hotel given France had had many kings named Louis. It was said to be as luxurious or even more so than the hotel Mayor Bourgeois owned. Bruce had not booked a place there for he didn't really like Mayor Bourgeois. He had met him once and disapproved of his aloof attitude and how much of a brat his daughter was. So he had come here instead.

Upon settling in his room, Bruce had opened up one of his Bat-coms and had told Alfred the whole story from his arrival to meeting the local heroes.

"The two are very good kids Alfred, full of valour and spirit. They definitely live up to their reputation." the billionaire said, "They also gave me some info on the mystery man known as "Hawk Moth" to which I've recorded and I'm planning on sending it to anybody with expertise in psychology and computers. If they can find any psychiatric profiles that match Hawk Moth's motives and agenda, we could narrow down the search and pinpoint his location."

"An ingenious idea Master Bruce." the butler approved, "And I suppose you told Miss Ladybug and Mr. Noir about The Riddler?"

Bruce nodded "I couldn't hide it from them, Alfred. This is their city and they had a right to know why I was actually there. The Riddler is a dangerous man and I'm not giving him a slightest chance in hurting the people here, and as I mentioned, Ladybug and Chat Noir know the city much better than I do, so I would be grateful for their help." he explained to his butler, who hummed in agreement from the other end of the Bat com.

"It's rather funny, isn't it? Almost five years ago you weren't that open to working with Mr Kent and Mr Queen, but now you're more open for help than ever before." he noted to his long-time friend, who made a tiny smile in return.

"They're my friends, Alfred, and they helped me realise that you, me, and the rest of my family can't work alone. We're all in the same boat, fighting for freedom and justice. I'm not the same man I was five years ago, Alfred, and I'm glad for it." Wayne replied.

Alfred smiled approvingly at his employer.

"You really have changed for the better Master Bruce." he said brightly.

"It really does help to meet the right people." Bruce replied, nodding agreeably, "I'm gonna send the recorded information off to the others and then I'll be resting for the rest of the night. Tell Dick and the others how I'm doing."

"Will do. Have a good night Master Wayne." Alfred replied.

The Bat-com switched off, leaving Bruce alone to carry out his one last task before bed. As he got out the recording device, he thought a few things to himself.

"I'll find you Riddler...and then I'm going to help Ladybug and Cat Noir find Hawk Moth." he declared, "Paris will not end up like Gotham while I'm here..."

That was a promise he intended to keep...no matter the costs.

* * *

Back in the United States, we now go to the slum side of Gotham, the very place where Ragman was born and began his quest on fighting crime. Because of the increasing numbers of the Bat-Family, Ragman decided to go to Europe to help put any communities under any threats of crime. While the crime rates in Gotham's slums have lowered a bit, a few criminals were still at large.

In the south end of the slums, a run down house only had a small amount of lights were on, yet it gave off a very gloomy feel that matched the city's very atmosphere, especially at nighttime. But it certainly didn't bother the occupant inside, as it was just enough to focus on his precious little dolls.

The man in question was a disturbing Gotham criminal known as The Dollmaker. He was so called because of his obsession with dolls, often kidnapping children so he could turn them into cyborg dolls in an abandoned toy factory. Almost a victim of his serial killer father in childhood, he had grown up to become one of Gotham's most disturbing and frightening criminals of all time. Part of his freakish nature was the fact he wore a broken doll mask which added to his creepiness.

And yet he was about to receive a visitor, something that didn't happen very often. A lot of people, even Gotham's worst criminals, didn't want to be anywhere near him. But somebody did tonight. The Dollmaker looked up as somebody strode into his place of dwelling. His cold eyes narrowed as he saw a man in a purple coat with green hair and red lips walking towards him.

"I wasn't expecting...company." the doll-obsessed man said, his voice calm but menacing.

"Hehehe, oh Dolly-boy, you should always expect a visitor, specially while I'm still around!" the figure said as he stepped out of the shadows, revealing it was none other than the Joker, who continued to grin like mad.

The Dollmaker's attitude and posture greatly changed, his figure now creeping back into his desk and his voice trembled nervously.

"Wh-What do you want!?" he demanded, fright still clear in his voice.

His past encounters with the Clown Prince of Crime were not very good ones, often having been on the brunt end of the Joker's cruel tricks, often getting him caught into trouble with Batman, and often had to be extra careful in avoiding making a mistake. He lost four teeth once after he messed up a new look for the Joker.

"Oh why so nervous, Dolly? I was expecting you to be a lot jollier in seeing an old acquaintance tonight. After all, we had some good times, didn't we ol' boy!?" The Joker exclaimed joyfully as he leaned on the table and elbowed the Dollmaker in the side, sending out an electric shock to the creepy masked criminal, who yelped in surprise and pain as the sudden amount of electricity went through his big build, making him drop to the floor.

The Joker laughed like he was watching a comedy sketch show.

"Ohhohoho, my new toys are the best!" He giggled as he then plopped himself down on a nearby seat and kicked Dollmaker in the side.

"On your feet doll-lover, I've got something that needs doing for me!" the clown-criminal snapped.

The stunned Dollmaker slowly picked himself up onto his feet, wobbling slightly as he tried to snap out of it. The shock had sapped some of his strength but he was a large man with huge muscles so he still had some strength left in him to get back up. He shook his head and looked over at The Joker.

"So what do you acquire...?" he asked nervously.

"Oh just a disguise so that I can sneak out of Gotham and fly over to Frenchy old France!" The Joker declared, "I have important business to take care of there!"

"France...?" The Dollmaker mused, "That's unexpected. Why there?"

"Don't ask questions you living mannequin, just do what I ask you!" The Joker snapped viciously.

Dollmaker jumped back in shock, realising too late it was best to never ask the Joker what his business was. With that, he went to the nearest cupboard and opened it up to find the essentials to help out the Joker. Part of the big man wanted to grab the Joker and toss him out of his house, but he knew better. He saw what the Joker could do to big men like him, and he honestly didn't want to end up like the rest of his victims. The guy was a walking, talking booby trap for goodness' sakes!

Trying to relax his nerves, Dollmaker turned to the Joker and laid a paint board down on the table next to him.

"Uh, what look are we going for this time?" He asked, trying his hardest to be calm.

The Joker smiled and clicked his fingers.

"The usual, grey hair, fair skin, the old gentleman look" he explained.

Dollmaker made a mental image of what he wanted, so he gotten out some blushers and other make-up tools to put to work.

"Hope you like your look." the doll-making criminal said feebly.

"If you aren't dead when I'm done with you, you'll know that you've succeeded in pleasing me." The Joker purred.

He sat back in his seat as The Dollmaker prepared to give him his makeover. When done, he'd be on his way to France...and Batman would never see him coming, nor would those teenage wannabes he'd seen on the news...

* * *

 _ **So now Ladybug and Cat Noir are informed on The Riddler and Batman's going to help find Hawk Moth. Neither mission will be straight forward but they may succeed.**_

 _ **But The Joker is on his way to France...all hell is about to break loose! 0_0 What will happen when he arrives?!**_


	5. Chapter 4: School Talk

**Chapter 4: School Talk**

There were many things on Cat Noir's mind as he returned to the Agreste Mansion and sneaked in through his bedroom window so he could change back. First of all was the unbelievable, yet amazing fact that Batman himself was here in France. Batman! It was almost like a dream come true and Cat Noir briefly wondered if he was hallucinating the whole thing from a lack of sleep. But he didn't feel like he desperately needed to sleep so he knew full well it wasn't that. It really had happened and Batman really was here in Paris!

But at the same time, Batman's appearance had brought bad news too. One of the Dark Knight's worst enemies was here in Paris too! Cat Noir had heard about The Riddler and had hoped France would never get a sample of his crazy, evil puzzles of death. It was bad enough that he and Ladybug couldn't find Hawk Moth and put an end to his crimes but now he and Ladybug had to deal with another villain! And what if Hawk Moth akumatized him?! The Riddler could well be Hawk Moth's most powerful minion if he ever got corrupted by an akuma. The Riddler had to be found and kicked out of Paris before anybody got hurt.

And finally, the one thing that was on his mind more than anything was his bodyguard. The Gorilla had been akumatized and his father may well be mad at the poor man, even though it hadn't been his fault. Would he end up fired? Cat Noir had no idea but he hoped it wouldn't come to that.

As soon as he entered his bedroom, he closed the window and allowed himself to power down. His costume disappeared, returning him to his normal clothes in a flash of light. Plagg also emerged from the ring, looking a little worn down. He was ready for a rest and didn't hesitate to fly over to Adrien's sofa and snuggle up on a pillow. It was just as well that Adrien was the son of a wealthy fashion designer for his room was built as much for comfort as it was for the needs of a teenage boy. Adrien sat down beside Plagg's pillow, sighing slightly. The cat kwami didn't seem to have noticed.

"Boy was that a night to remember!" he exclaimed, "We met freaking Batman himself Adrien! And just when I thought Paris couldn't get any cooler!"

"Yeah, it was quite a something." Adrien admitted, "Though it's kinda scary that one of his enemies is here too. Batman's got quite a Rogues Gallery."

"I know, his Rogues Gallery is so big that I bet it could fill several Wikipedia pages!" Plagg snickered.

Adrien glared at the little kwami.

"This isn't a laughing matter Plagg!" he warned, "What if The Riddler makes some kind of riddle that we have to answer before somebody gets hurt?! I've heard about the guys Batman faces and none of them are laughing matters! Well maybe Anarky since he's so laughable by how hard it is to take him seriously but still. And they're not akuma victims either so it's not a case of catching the akuma and everything's OK again. Batman's not a Miraculous wielder so it stands to reason his foes aren't akuma victims. They'll be harder to stop than any of Hawk Moth's cronies..."

Plagg waved his tiny arms in defence.

"Chill, pal! I've had to help fight some actual criminals in the thousands of years of being alive." He retorted with an explanation.

Adrien rolled his eyes in response "Well, whether they were worse or weaker than Batman's villains, you should still take this seriously. That's why the next time I switch into Chat Noir, I'll have my serious hat on" he explained to the little Kwami, who grinned.

"Now that would charm Ladybug" he winked at his human companion, who blushed slightly.

"Well, uh, y-yeah...look, I'm gonna get you some Camembert cheese. You look really tired, pal, so the next thing you need to go with that pillow is a bit of food" he said, his firm face dropping into a softer expression.

That made Plagg smile sheepishly "Ohh, my hero" he teased in response, making Adrien smirk with a roll of his eyes.

With that said, Adrien made his way out of the bedroom and began to head downstairs, but he only told Plagg half of the truth. While he was most definitely getting him some Camembert cheese (even though he hated the stench of it), he was actually going to check on the Gorilla. It had been half an hour since he returned him to the mansion, and he continued to worry about him even more.

Reaching the lobby, he headed into the living room to find Nathalie sitting on the sofa, her hands trembling slightly as she looked off to the far end of the room, where Gabriel was talking to the Gorilla in a quiet conversation. Though he knew what it was about, Adrien had to make it clear to them he had no idea what had happened. He headed over to the nervous looking Nathalie, catching her attention.

"Oh, Adrien. You still up at this hour?" she questioned, though the stern touch of her tone fell away into a softer tone.

"It's only half nine, Nathalie. I came down to see the Gorilla because Chloe gave him a hard time earlier." the teenaged rich boy explained, keeping up the facade of being innocent in all this.

Nathalie raised an eyebrow in response to this. "Chloe was giving him a hard time? Why didn't you mention this earlier?" she presses back in response, her eyes sharp behind her glasses.

"Um, what do you mean? I was watching some anime videos..." Adrien had an unsure look on his face, hoping the expression would throw her off.

Nathalie stood up and pointed a finger into the direction of the two men over the other side, "He was akumatized, Adrien! He could be fired because of that unless you explain everything to your father!"

Although the rich kid knew this, Adrien knew he had to put up the pretence that he didn't. He raised his hands close to his mouth as if about to cover it in surprise.

"Oh no...the poor guy will have a hard time finding another job if dad fires him!" he exclaimed.

"Then you'd best explain this to your father before the Gorilla ends up on the street young man." Nathalie said sternly.

Adrien nodded and walked over to Gabriel, who despite being shorter and far less intimidating than the Gorilla himself, he showed why he was the one in charge with a raised voice and anger burning in his eyes. The huge, muscular bodyguard suddenly felt very small and weak in comparison. Gabriel Agreste was once again dressed in his usual fancy white suit, presumably designed by himself, but even the smart clothes did little to make him less fearsome to his bodyguard.

"I employed you because I believed you were suited for the job Gorilla. You made the perfect bodyguard for my son and what happens once my back is turned?" the fashion designer growled, "I hear you caused a rampage through Paris! Do you have any idea what this means to me, my son and yourself?! Adrien will never trust you again, and maybe I'll never be able to trust you again Gorilla! What if I turn my back again and you cause another rampage?"

The Gorilla clearly wanted to speak but his eyes told Adrien that he was too scared to do so. Despite his tough demeanour, he really was terrified of Gabriel even though the buff man could easily snap Gabriel in two if he desired. Adrien had a nasty feeling that the axe was about to fall so he felt the need to step in just as his father was about to let out another long winded lecture.

"It's not his fault! Dad, listen, it's not his fault!" he exclaimed, waving his arms frantically with his eyes wide.

The sudden appearance of his son made Gabriel's eyes widen slightly, though a slightly confused frown settled on his older features "How can it not be his fault, son? He was akuma- "

"Dad, look, for once in your life, just listen, okay!?" Adrien suddenly snapped, his ears burning red in shock at having just put his foot down on his father. Sure, Adrien hated the very thought of losing his temper, but he couldn't just leave the Gorilla defenceless in Gabriel's wrath. The older Agreste folded his arms with his eyebrows raised in slight surprise, but he gave his son a short nod.

"Go on then, I'm listening" he said, his voice now patient and calm.

Adrien sighed in relief before continuing on with his explanation.

"Look, I go on the Ladyblog every now and then and there's a video where Ladybug and Chat Noir explain how the akumas work. They target people that get angry or upset, that's how they get akumatised." he started, before receiving another nod from his father, "Now, I know my bodyguard looks mean most of the time, but tonight someone really upset him. And that someone was here tonight in fact." Adrien went on, this time getting a confused turn of a head from his father.

"We had a guest? Who was it?" he asked, his voice a little curious as to what his son had to say next.

The blonde haired boy exhaled as a disappointed look crossed his face "It was Chloe" he said in a simple stating voice.

A look of surprise crossed Gabriel's sharp features, then his mouth dropped in realisation as he let out a gasp. The dots seemed to have connected in his head.

"Ahhhhh..." It was true, Gabriel heard a lot about Chloe. Though he rarely met her, he often thought she was the ideal girl for his son to be with. Back in the kindergarten years, at least, as he now often heard how much she bothered loads of people, and had in fact caused a lot of people to be akumatized.

"She came in here and said that her father organised a trip to Gotham City, but me and her would go two days early. I tried to explain to her how unfair it was, but she wouldn't listen! Next thing I know she's dragging me to the door against my will, but my bodyguard stepped in and cleared her out! Thing is, Chloe said some very horrible things to him, insulting his size, called him an animal and all other names under the sun!" Adrien explained, his eyes full of honesty as he went into full detail about what had happened.

The Gorilla was surprised at this. He knew Adrien was a nice boy, but he didn't expect the young Agreste to actually stand up for him, taking on his father in an argument regarding him and his actions.

Adrien then gave his father a firm stare, his eyes soft and his voice pleading.

"Dad, if you fire him, you'll be no better than Chloe. You'll be victimising him and he'd probably have to live on the streets after what happened tonight. He was being a good person, dad, and he was doing his job, protecting me. Please don't fire him, please" he begged, his whole form now desperate as he put an arm around the Gorilla's back to show his support for him.

The huge man stared at Adrien as if he couldn't believe what had just happened. Nobody had ever shown him this much kindness before. And he certainly hadn't expected to receive any from Adrien of all people. Nevertheless, the Gorilla was very touched by Adrien's kindness. So much so that he began to do one thing that he hadn't done in years...he began to cry. He sniffled as happy tears trickled down his face. He hugged Adrien like a father gorilla nursing his child, grateful for Adrien's kindness. The teen boy returned the gesture, as if welcoming him without needing to say the words himself.

Gabriel's cold eyes seemed to soften as he took in the sight and thought for a moment. If there was one person's word he always believed, it was his son's. If this story had come out of anybody else but Adrien, he wouldn't have believed it for a second. He looked back at Adrien and the Gorilla, his face now more gentle but still not close enough to a smile.

"Very well my son, I will not fire the Gorilla." Gabriel promised, "He was a victim as you say and the fault is not his, but Mayor Bourgeois's daughter. I think I'll give him a call and tell him to punish that girl for her appalling behaviour."

Although Adrien liked the idea of Chloe getting punished for once, he knew that telling the mayor about her was not a good idea and could end very disastrously.

"No dad, don't! You might make the mayor mad and he'll react in the worst way possible!" Adrien cried.

"Do you think for a minute that oaf of a politician scares me?" Gabriel snapped, his expression now his normal hard, stern self, "Mayor Bourgeois can threaten me all he likes, I won't be intimidated by him. He needs a wake-up call Adrien and if nobody else will make him realize what an idiot he is then I'll do it."

"But dad..."

"Enough son! My mind is made up." the fashion designer snapped, "And that is that."

Adrien nodded, suppressing a sigh.

"I understand, father. Do what you feel is best" he said softly, earning a nod from the stern older man.

"Very good. Now, I'd like you to hurry off to bed. You have to be ready for school. Same goes to you, Gorilla. Rest up early tonight." his tone grew softer as he addressed this to his son and the big man.

Adrien made a soft smile as he patted the Gorilla's back "We sure will. Goodnight, dad" he bid as he headed into the kitchen to get the Camembert cheese, while the Gorilla headed off to his quarters.

After watching Adrien leave the room, Gabriel sighed as he looked at a nearby photo of his wife, the said photo of her hugging her son and sharing a loving glance with him. The tiniest of smiles appeared on Gabriel's face as he walked over to it and smoothed his fingertips across the faces of his wife and son.

"He's so much like you...if only you were here..." He whispered ever so quietly, a hint of sadness to his voice.

It was certainly true that the "disappearance" of his wife changed Gabriel a lot. While he was a bit busy earlier in Adrien's childhood, he was a brighter hearted man that would try to make time for his wife and son. But ever since she exited their lives, Gabriel became the colder man that he was to this day. If anyone were to see this, they ought to savour the moment. And that's what Nathalie did before she brought him back to reality.

"Um, sir? I'm sorry to, um, bother, but considering one of the Justice League is in Paris, probably for his own reasons, would you want me to draw up a different schedule for the rest of the week?" she suggested.

Nathalie was a smart woman who always paid attention to the local news, as well as the Justice League's activities across the world, under orders from her boss that was. Gabriel hummed to himself a bit before turning to her.

"Ladybug and Chat Noir are enough for me to worry about with their battles possibly hurting my son, and if that Batman's got any of his villain's lurking around Paris, then I can't take much risks. School hours as normal, but no photo shoots outside. He's to be brought straight home, Nathalie, and we'll have photo shoot's done in the basement studio. I can't bare the thought of him getting caught up in this business with Batman, Nathalie, so get it printed tomorrow" he ordered, his voice stern as he calculated the week's plan in his mind.

Thankful at having a good memory, Nathalie jotted the orders down on her notepad, finishing shortly afterwards "Got it. I'll have it typed and printed in the morning, sir" she said with as much understanding and honesty, heading off to her quarters to get it all typed up.

Gabriel nodded approvingly as he turned to leave himself. Adrien would be safe and he wouldn't have to worry about him getting hurt. He also wouldn't have to worry about this Batman character causing him any grief too. He always worried on if Adrien was under attack by the akuma victims, he didn't need to worry about Adrien being in danger at the hands of somebody else either.

He turned around just in time to see Adrien return from the kitchen and walk up the huge staircase to his room. Smiling a small smile, he watched his son until he got up to the top and then he walked away to do some last minute things before it was his time to retire for the night...

* * *

If Batman was anywhere near Charles De Gaulle airport at this point, he would've seen that his time in Paris was about to get worse. The Riddler was soon to be the least of his problems when he eventually realized what was coming his way now.

A Boeing 737 touched down at Charles De Gaulle airport in the early hours of the morning. Having departed at eleven o' clock at night, the plane arrived at exactly 9:00 am French time. Given it was a school day, many people would be taking their children to school at this particular time, meaning the plane didn't have many watchers as it slowed down and began to taxi down the runway towards the airport terminal. The plane also didn't have many passengers. It wasn't even half-full.

One of the passengers was a gentlemanly like person with fair skin and grey hair. He looked as if he had been wandering the Earth forever and was just patiently waiting for his time to finally leave it. He wasn't a very attractive looking man either, often getting disgusted glares or people quickly looking away the moment they caught sight of him. That suited the man. He didn't want to attract attention. If he did then Batman would be after him and his fun would end before it could even begin.

Underneath the latex mask and make-up, The Joker couldn't help but grin to himself. What fun it had been to slip straight through Gotham's security and get on a plane to another country! If he'd been identified at all, he would've been pinned down by hundreds of guards before he had a chance to explain himself. The Dollmaker's disguise certainly paid off. Nobody had recognized him, not even when he'd identified himself as "Jack White" to the airport staff. So while Gotham's GCPD were searching for him, he was far away and now treading upon French soil. Batman thought he could escape him did he? He had been wrong and now he was going to show the Dark Knight what happens to those who try to avoid him.

As the plane approached the terminal, he allowed himself the luxury of a smile. He had deliberately kept the smile off of his face so he wouldn't arouse any suspicions but now he was soon to be departing, he didn't have to hide it anymore.

"Twinkle, twinkle little Bat...The Joker's gonna find out where you're at..." he sang to himself.

He felt the plane come to a stop as it reached the terminal. It was time to disembark at last. The Joker felt as if he'd been sitting there forever and was relieved to be able to stand again. He got up out of his seat and filed out of the plane along with the other passengers...

* * *

The Joker wasn't the only one traipsing through Paris in disguise today.

A certain individual had started skulking about the lower side of Paris, dressed in a grey raincoat, a thick black woolly hat, a thick beard with brown streaks on his face, dark chequed trousers and brown shoes clung to his lower half, making him an odd person that would've fitted very well in a fantasy book. If anyone saw this man out of his disguise, the press would be all over him like a swarm of bees, given how popular he was back in Gotham City. But Bruce Wayne was no fool.

Having thankfully arrived in secret, he sent a private message out to the staff of the airport and hotel, asking not to send out any info about his presence in the capital French city. The billionaire vigilante had planned this from the start, keeping his civilian self in the shadows on Paris' streets and only coming out as his dark alter ego. Given the whole world watched through TV's, satellites, and the Internet of him fighting Ape-Man alongside Ladybug and Chat Noir, he couldn't risk the world knowing Bruce Wayne was in Paris. Given the huge rise of geeks and theorists, especially on the Internet, Bruce knew someone would've connected the dots and goodness knows what would've happened once this theory was exposed to the world. He had to stick to the shadows, but only come out when Batman himself was needed.

"Master Bruce?" the voice of Alfred echoed on his earpiece, bringing him back to reality, "If I were to suggest an idea to you, how about you start at the airport first? I know it's going to be quiet there today, but you could as well try to slip into a security room and observe CCTV footage of when the Riddler left?" his elderly guardian was a very good strategist and idealist, and if Batman or Bruce was ever in need of a hand, a family member would always be welcome to help out.

"And hopefully find the number plate of the taxi that he took to get to his hideout. Thanks, Alfred." Bruce said quietly as he paced down a street road, coming towards a certain bakery...where he nearly knocked a certain young girl over. She had just rushed out of the door and Bruce hadn't noticed until the two had nearly collided.

"O-Oh! I'm so sorry, mister! I didn't mean to!" The bluenette cried out as she comprehended what had happened in the short amount of two seconds.

Bruce would've just stormed on and wouldn't have bothered to say anything. But that's what Batman would've done. Here he was an ordinary man in the daylight. And as he took note of the person in, he could see that the person he bumped into was a young teenaged girl...it was Marinette Dupain-Cheng!

Taking in her apologetic expression and nervous words, Bruce waved it off and smiled under his fake beard.

"Don't be sorry, young lady. I should've watched where I was going" he replied, not wanting to berate the sweet hearted girl in front of him, "Still, I recommend that you get going to school, I don't want you to get into any trouble" he added, making it clear that the girl should really be getting on with her own life and not worry about his well-being.

Marinette smiled shyly and began to jog off.

"Thank you sir, I'll try to be careful next time! Have a good day!" She waved as she crossed the road that would take her to school.

Bruce smiled, but a serious thought crossed his mind. He was reminded of what he was fighting for, keeping the peace and joy that people like Marinette deserved in life, and it only made him more determined to get to the bottom of his investigation.

Crossing the opposite road, Bruce cocked his head to one side as Alfred spoke again.

"Mind if I suggest you take a taxi to the airport, sir? Because pacing up and down a quiet street is bound to attract attention" he noted to the billionaire, who suppressed a grunt of slight annoyance.

"Yes Alfred, well and truly noted." he quietly retorted, before heading off towards a nearby taxi lane...

As for Marinette, she had sprinted her way to school, determined not to be late again. She hated that one aspect of her life as Ladybug, the fear of being late and getting bad reports that her parents would receive from the teachers and require a flimsy explanation that would some how fix everything. Luckily for her, she had managed to get up a little earlier than usual so she had time to spare.

As she arrived, she noticed that her best friend, Alya Césaire was waiting for her. Alya was an attractive young girl just like Marinette was though anybody who looked at her would've associated her as one of the quiet and nerdy kinds of girls as opposed to the ones who used their bodies to attract attention. She was dark skinned and had a mole above one of her eyes. She wore huge black-rimmed glasses that seemed to add to her brainy image. Her attire consisted of a plaid shirt with various colour stripes, jeans and white sneakers. The clothes made her look fit and a little sporty though her personality wasn't anything like that. She also had wavy brown-reddish hair that seemed well suited for her.

The dark-skinned girl spotted Marinette and grinned widely, clearly pleased to see her.

"Hey Marinette, you actually got here on time for once! That's something to celebrate!" she exclaimed jokingly.

"You're not funny Alya, I hope you realize that." Marinette retorted humorously. If there was one thing that made her so glad to be Alya's friend, it was how enthusiastic and light-hearted she could be. She was the kind of girl you wanted to be friends with, the kind you wanted to hang around with because being around her was so pleasant and upbeat that you just enjoyed every moment spent with her.

"I'm no Ellen DeGeneres I'm sure but admit it, I can be funny Marinette." Alya teased.

"OK, a little funny perhaps." the blue haired girl replied, "How's it going?"

"How's it going you ask?!" Alya shrieked, "You have no idea how exciting things are! Have you heard the news Marinette? OMG, you're not gonna believe this but one of the greatest superheroes in the world is actually IN PARIS right now!"

Marinette pretended to be surprised at this. She knew perfectly well who her best friend was talking about.

"Who is it? Superman or somebody?" the half French-half Chinese girl asked.

"Second best, it's Batman himself!" the brown-haired girl replied, bouncing up and down enthusiastically, "And rumour has it that last night, he teamed up with Ladybug and Cat Noir to stop an akuma victim! Holy galoshes I just HAD to talk about it on the Ladyblog! I'm gonna get so much views and comments with a news story like that! I even headlined it: BATMAN IN PARIS, TEAMS UP WITH LADYBUG AND CAT NOIR. I even added a tagline saying "France's heroes to meet America's heroes?" Man I hope Ladybug and Cat Noir get to team up with other heroes like Green Lantern or The Flash or best of all, Wonder Woman! How awesome would that be?!"

Marinette giggled at her enthusiasm and decided to express her own opinions, all of which were going to be very honest.

"I'd totally love to have Wonder Woman and Flash come over at some point, but something tells me the Teen Titans are more fitting for Ladybug and Chat Noir" she said, a bright tone to her voice. Alya clenched her hands excitedly.

"Oh girl that would be so awesome! I can just see the fanfic ideas already!" She exclaimed, a starry look in her eyes as she gazed into the distance, fantasising the ideas in her head.

Marinette giggled as she followed her friend into the classroom, where they found Nathanael, Lila, Juleka, Rose, Kim and Ivan all huddled together, clearly talking about the events of the previous night. Lila spotted Marinette and Alya so she gestured them to come over.

"Alya! Can ya believe it!? Batman was here the other night with Chat Noir, fighting that akuma!" the Italian girl exclaimed with an equal amount of excitement in her tone.

"Girl, I've seen a lot of craziness in my life since Ladybug entered our lives, I'm bound to take interest in it!" Alya replied as she and Marinette joined the group discussion.

"If you ask me, Batman could show Ladybug a thing or too in the field. And I'm not saying cos I dislike her, I actually think he could help her out" Lila responded, keeping her tone levelled so as not to sound mean.

"Each to their own, but I think she and Chat Noir could teach Bats a few lessons in magic. That's as long he hasn't had Zatanna teach him a few or two" Alya responded with a sly wink, making the gathered friends giggle.

Marinette suppressed a sigh as she glanced at Lila, who was formerly the akumatized victim, Volpina, or really one of her own victims. Marinette never felt so guilty in all her life about she ruined Lila's chance of having a friendship. On first glance, many would see her as an attention seeker like Chloe, but as it turned out over the next few weeks, after an emotional breakdown, Lila confessed to having lied because she felt lonely, given she was the new girl at the school and no one really took notice of her. As the class finally lowered their guard, they learnt so much more about her, seeing she was a sweet hearted person who had a deep passion for Paris and hoped to be a hair stylist for the magical city. Marinette vowed to be a good friend to Lila as a way of making amends for what she did to her.

Still, the centre of attention in the classroom was stolen the second Adrien walked in, with Nino following behind him.

"Yo dudes, the poster boy of all your fashion magazines is here!" Nino announced loudly for no real reason.

"You could do without the fanfare Nino." Adrien said sheepishly.

All heads turned in the two boys's direction. The class had been waiting for Adrien to appear and now he was here, a lot of faces lit up at the sight of him. That was the one good thing about school, the fact that Adrien was very popular among his classmates and fitted in well. He enjoyed it, especially since most of the class liked him for who he was as a person, not the model that they saw in their fashion magazines. Marinette's eyes in particular were all aglow upon seeing the blonde-haired boy. Upon meeting Adrien for the first time, things hadn't gone well. She had found him trying to get gum off of her seat, which had been put there by Chloe. Marinette had mistakenly believed Adrien was the one who had put it there and had gotten mad at him. And yet here she was now, delighted to see him and suddenly feeling weak in the knees. The blue-haired girl fought to stay standing as Adrien approached.

"So how's it going guys and girls?" Adrien asked politely.

"Just talking about last night pretty boy." Kim responded, "You hear? Batman's in Paris! He fought an akuma victim with Ladybug and Cat Noir!"

"I bet under that mask he's as handsome as my beloved prince!" Rose squealed, her eyes twinkling.

"I kinda wish he was there when I got akumatized..." Juleka mumbled grimly, "It would've been awesome being saved by him as well as Ladybug and Cat Noir."

"Yeah, I heard all about that too." Adrien admitted, "What a turn of events eh? Who'd have thought one of the JL was gonna come to us?"

"It could be something really bad at the same time though." Nathanel said. He had a notebook in his hand and was drawing a picture of Batman as he spoke, "What if Batman being here means something even bigger than these akuma attacks is happening? I hope it's nothing like that picture a drew the other day!"

"What did you draw?" Marinette asked curiously.

"A god-like monster attempting to eat the whole world." the artist admitted, almost shamefully, "I dunno, I was feeling grim lately so I drew it to express myself."

"Man, that's dark buddy!" Nino cried, "But I'm sure Bat-dude being here doesn't mean the end of the world!"

"I hope not. Me and Mylène just started dating at last!" Ivan cried, almost amazed he had actually just said that out loud.

Marinette patted his arm, giving the big teenager a reassuring look.

"Given Ladybug's and Chat Noir's reputation, nothing will get in between you and Mylene while their around, and I'm sure Batman hasn't brought along any ill means either" she assured, brightening him up a bit. Juleka then realised something just as Mylene came in and hugged Ivan.

"Hang on...the akuma this time was your bodyguard, wasn't it, Adrien?" she then pointed out, making all heads turn to him once again.

Adrien sighed, fearing this would happen. It was all over the news when Ape-Man was revealed to be the Gorilla. While the whole world would've thought he was just some Parisian, to the school, they all knew him as Adrien's bodyguard, as they often saw him escorting Adrien into the school. Brushing a strand of blonde hair out of his eyes, Adrien spoke.

"Chat Noir came over to my place last night just as my dad was about to fire the Gorilla. I explained to my dad and Chat what gotten to my bodyguard. The person who caused him to go on the rampage was Chloe." he told them all. In response it was a mix of groans, sighs, and eyes rolling. Though Marinette's blood boiled at the mention of it.

She seriously couldn't stand Chloe. Throughout their school years she was always a bothersome bully towards Marinette, but ever since Adrien came to the school, Chloe became a lot worse. As far as Marinette was concerned, Chloe was a rotten, stick up bitch, who went out of her way to threaten, taunt, and yell at people for simply being different or doing something innocent compared to her. Heck, she only had Sabrina to do her homework for her and often verbally abused her as well. Sure, Sabrina had her bitchy moments, but everyone by now had guessed Chloe bullied her into being like it. But what made Marinette sick now though, was that she was the one responsible for dozens of akuma attacks on Paris. She could list them all off the tip of her fingers, like Ivan, Juleka, Mylene, Sabrina, Sabrina's father, her great uncle, Rose, Kim, and now it was Adrien's bodyguard. If there was something that made Marinette's blood boil in utter disgust, it was Chloe.

"What did she do this time?" Lila asked with a frown of annoyance, as she couldn't stand the blonde bitch either.

"She insulted his size, his whole appearance, and threatened to have him fired and living on the streets" Adrien responded, his tone tired and angry.

The whole class gasped in shock at this, but Marinette quickly found her voice.

"Now she's targeting him!? Your bodyguard!? If she's meant to be your friend, she should know better!" the bluenette exclaimed, greatly surprising the rest of the class.

Even Adrien couldn't believe it, as Marinette very rarely raised her voice in anger. But it didn't stop him from nodding in agreement.

"Tell me about it...I hate to say it, but I feel like shouting at her half the time whenever she causes trouble" he replied. Nino smirked in response.

"Welcome to the club at last, bro!" he exclaimed, making Adrien fight off a smirk.

"Your bodyguard didn't get fired, did he?" Marinette asked with a deeply concerned voice.

Though Adrien was surprised at how much compassion she was showing, he was grateful that she was expressing her concern over the Gorilla. Everyone was intimidated by him, but he was glad there were a brightful few like Marinette that could see the good in him. He smiled at her, a mixture of warmth and relief.

"Thankfully he didn't. After I explained everything to dad, he understood and kept him around. I heard he phoned up the mayor to tell him to teach Chloe a lesson" he responded.

"How did that go?" Marinette asked, hoping to hear the good news.

"The mayor got angry but after my dad refused to budge, he decided that he was right and that Chloe did need teaching a lesson or two." the teen model answered, "According to my dad, the mayor's forbid Chloe from ever speaking to me again, heck she's not even allowed to LOOK at me and she's to be nice to everybody or she'll be grounded for a month and not allowed to have her phone anymore."

"Pfft, that's WAY too lenient on her." Kim scoffed, "She should be punished much worse than that!"

"I think everyone agrees on that." Juleka murmured.

"Well at least she's ACTUALLY getting some kind of punishment for once." Alya smirked, "Though I can't see her being able to be a good girl for her beloved daddy. She won't last a day!"

"Well let's not give her a reason to be mean to us." Marinette warned, "If we provoke her, we're no better than she is. Let's try and help her to learn her lesson."

"It won't be easy." Nathanel sighed, "But we can try."

"Yeah, last thing we want is an akumatized Chloe!" Nino exclaimed.

Marinette shuddered, remembering the time where Chloe had indeed become an akuma victim. She ahd become Antibug, the anti-counterpart to Ladybug. Last thing anybody needed was Antibug making a reappearance, although it would be satisfying to watch Batman beat the snot out of her.

Then the bell rang. Morning lessons were about to begin. Everybody was already in the classroom so all they had to do was get to their seats and sit quietly while the teacher arrived. The huddle broke up as all the students sat down at their desks and got out their books as the teacher entered the room, pleased to see everybody sitting down patiently. Chloe and Sabrina both entered the room shortly afterwards and both sat down at their desk. Chloe looked fed up, as if life wasn't fair to her and she didn't dare meet anybody's gaze. She just sat and looked ahead, at least attempting to pretend to be interested. Sabrina sat next to her but she didn't dare look at Chloe, worried the mayor's daughter would snap at her for no reason. Everybody was here now so the class was ready to begin.

But as the class had sat down, they had failed to notice that every desk in the room had something that wasn't originally there. If anybody had chanced a look under their desk, they would've noticed that there was something that really didn't belong in a classroom at all.

Unknown to anybody, The Riddler had finished creating his little copter robots and had sent them out to find a target for his safe-house's features to be tested on. He had decided that for a change, he would try using children as the hostages. After all, people worried more about missing children then missing adults. If there were children missing, he'd spread enough panic to bring France to its knees and then dare anybody foolish enough to try to rescue them. He wasn't the kind of man who found child murder fun or exciting but he didn't care. People were people and they died no matter how young.

So the copter bots had all managed to sneak into the school during the night and had hidden under the desks of every student in this very classroom. He hadn't had time to build enough robots for the whole school so he picked a classroom at random and planted the robots there. Now it was morning and the class was full, the robots could carry out their next stage. Silently, they detached themselves from the underneath of the desks and flew down towards everybody's bags. Amazingly, their whirling rotors didn't make a single noise as they sneaked into the bags. Every student in the class had a phone and the robots found them instantly. Now the phones had been found, they opened up the phones and planted their contents inside. They were all carrying bombs The Riddler had attached to them, but only one of the bombs was actually real. The rest were fake, which was what The Riddler had wanted. It was part of one of his games.

In his safe-house, The Riddler had watched the whole performance via the cameras his robots contained and he was pleased to see how well things were going. Now the robots had done, they crawled out of the bags and attached themselves back under the desk so they could remain hidden until the school was closed again. He laughed to himself.

"That's one puzzle set up for later!" he cried excitedly, "And boy this one's gonna be very fun indeed!"

The Riddler then peeked at his watch and hummed to himself "Guess it's time for a nice bit of coffee. Gotta keep the brain cells ticking and staying on tune. Afteral, some brains will be splattered all over the place at some point" he smirked as he stood up and cracked his fingers, ready to get to work on the next phase of his plan. But little did he know, though, someone else was about to make a stylish entrance to Paris...in his own frightening way.

* * *

With Bruce Wayne, he was just exiting the taxi that brought him to the airport, passing a few euros to the driver. Pocketing his wallet, Bruce entered the airport's lobby and removed his hat. Thankfully, he was wearing a well added on wig that didn't make him stand out of the crowd like a sore thumb. Given he was a master of disguise, Bruce had made sure the wig was well attached to his head, with it being a messy style similar to that of a rockstar, but thankfully nowhere near as messy as Jagged Stone's.

Placing himself against a nearby bin, Bruce studied his surroundings like an eagle, taking in every bit of his surroundings. To everyone in the waiting area, they thought he was just bored, but little did they know this disguised billionaire had his sights now focussed on the security door just past the doors that would take him deeper into the airport. That and he was listening very closely to his fellow accomplice far across the Atlantic pond.

"Master Bruce, be glad that your thermal imagery contact lenses are showing me the airport's inner sections. I can tell you that two security cameras are looking away from you as we speak. Mind if I suggest you start your walk to the door now?" The old voice of Alfred explained to him from within the earpiece. Bruce nodded, timing his next move just right as a huge crowd of travellers were walking through the doors.

Pressing forward and gently pushing past each of the travellers he was walking with, the disguised crime fighter steadily headed over to the door, keeping an eye out for nearby security men while listening to Alfred's voice.

"I can tell you, sir, that there's only one gentleman in there and he's popped into the men's room. Once you get in, I suggest you bolt him in. And it seems the poor bugger has left the door itself unlocked. You might as well just slip on in, like the crafty man you are" he advised.

"It's moments like this where people begin to wonder why criminals are able to break into places so easily." Bruce muttered to himself.

How lazy was security to leave a door like this unlocked? It made Bruce sad to think that security really was this poor. If people actually gave a damn about security, they may well bring down the crime rates for once.

Stealing himself, Bruce headed on towards the security room. With any luck, he'd get in there easily and be able to carry out his mission. And once he'd succeeded, he'd have an easier time tracking down the puzzle-obsessed criminal. Glancing around one last time, Bruce could see that he was clear to go in, as the security men were not looking his way, and neither were the cameras. Swiftly, he pulled the door open and headed on inside, closing it as quietly as he could. Having now entered a darker room, with about eight TV screens n the nearby wall, Bruce looked about to find the door that connected to the built in bathroom. Quickly spotting it to his far left, Bruce grabbed the chair and stacked it against the door, placing it right under the handle, preventing the bathroom's occupant from getting out anytime soon.

With that sorted, Bruce headed back to the wall of screens and began to observe a few of them, specifically the two cameras that were on the outside of the lobby, getting a good view of the taxi lane. His fingers whizzing away at the keyboard in front of him, Bruce played back the footage from yesterday evening, while keeping in mind of the disguise the Riddler had. Remembering the time he himself arrived, Bruce went back an hour on the two cameras, watching intently as the footage played.

As he watched on, Bruce couldn't help but feel...different. Not in the feeling he had the previous night that he was now in Paris, but now he genuinely felt like an actual detective, like an FBI or CIA operative investigating the footsteps of an international criminal. Truth be told, Bruce actually tried to join the FBI once and he would've made a brilliant agent...if he knew how to use an actual gun properly...

Shaking the memory out of his mind and replacing the image of said gun with a grappling gun, Bruce continued his work, his dark brown eyes focusing hard on the footage. Shortly enough, he found his target. Remembering the hairy face and the purple glasses, Bruce had finally gotten a lead on the Riddler. He zoomed in on the number plate of the taxi and quickly jotted it down in his ever intelligent brain: TR 18O2Y.

"I've got it, Alfred. I'll have to pay the taxi station website a visit now, see if I can track that taxi's whereabouts last night." Bruce said quietly as he stood up from the desk.

Remembering he trapped someone in the bog, Bruce quickly and quietly removed the chair and placed it back to where it was in front of the desk, before turning on his heels and, after doing a little peek to make sure no one was watching, Bruce slipped out through the door, like a ghost of the air.

But little did our hero notice that, while he was in that room, someone had gotten past his incredible detective eye...

* * *

 _ **Things are peaceful now but it won't last...**_

 _ **The Riddler's set up some kind of puzzle, The Joker's in Paris now and Batman is completely unaware of any of this! And so are Ladybug and Cat Noir! What will happen next? And when will Hawk Moth make his next move?**_

 _ **Tune in next time as the party gets started when The Joker makes his first move...**_


	6. Chapter 5: The Joke's On France

**Chapter 5: The Joke's On France**

Mayor Andre Bourgeois was in his office studying the newspaper article that had caught his eye. Once the paper had been delivered to him, he had been quick to notice the big eye-catching headline that everybody in France was talking about:

 **BATMAN SIGHTED IN PARIS. SPOTTED TEAMING UP WITH LADYBUG AND CAT NOIR**

The Mayor was already very grateful to the local heroes for their work in keeping Paris safe so he could remain in power. They had also been useful in building up his good public image thanks to interviews and photographs he had had with the French superheroes. But this was something even bigger than he could've anticipated. Nothing, not even his best resources could've prepared him for something like this. One of the Justice League's heroes was in his city and fighting crime alongside Ladybug and Cat Noir! Of course, Andre had heard much about Batman. There was nobody in the world who didn't know his name and his eyes were all aglow as he saw the headline.

Some politicians would've seen Batman's appearance as being interfering and an example of "sticking his nose in where it didn't belong". Some would've been mad that the JL thought for a minute their own forces weren't competent enough to handle the situation themselves. But not Mayor Bourgeois. The man was the kind of a politician who only saw profit when it came to situations like this. He was the kind of man who cared more about getting enough dough then the people he ruled over. Nobody mattered to him unless they could profit him in some way. Even his daughter was unwillingly helping in that regard. He had thought about Chloe as he read the newspaper and wondered what she would've thought to Batman's being here in France.

As of now, he settled down the newspaper and smiled to himself.

"So one of America's biggest heroes is here now?" he said gleefully, "France should feel honoured to be blessed with such a huge presence! I know I do!"

He then tapped his rather large, blubber like chin in thought with his pen, before a clever smile spread across his face.

"Perhaps I should get him here at some point! I can have him, Ladybug, and Chat Noir all outside my home's front door! It would attract a lot of attention, possibly from all over the world! I could shake his hand and watch him do the same with my, uh, I mean, Paris's superheroes! It will mark an historical day in my life!" he cried as he sprung from his large swivel chair, heading over to his office door. Opening it, he found his secretary, his guards, and staff members of the hotel.

"Everyone, listen up! We've got a knight from Gotham in our city, and I feel it's best we make him feel welcome! Spread word through Paris that he shall be coming here with Ladybug and Chat Noir!" he ordered with a lot of glee in his aged voice.

His secretary raised her hand slightly in response. "I hope not to be a nuisance, sir, but how are we to contact the Batman? I mean, we don't even have the access codes to contact the Justice League itself" she pointed out, only to get a quick answer in response.

"We do what the police of Gotham do to contact him; we make our own Bat-Signal" Mr Bourgeois said, sounding almost as if he solved a complicated scientific question.

"But that could take days to build!" cried one of the staff members.

"Don't argue with me, just do it!" Andre snapped angrily.

The staff member recoiled. If there was one thing you DID NOT EVER do in Paris, it was argue with the mayor. Nodding, he decided to go ahead with the idea.

"OK then. I'll get the technicians to build one right away." he announced.

"Very good work old chap!" the mayor cried enthusiastically, "As for what we can have to make him welcome, we'll throw a party right here in my very hotel! We'll have big names, rich friends and lots of expensive wine and champagne to make this a night to remember. Batman oughta feel very welcome with a scene like that!"

"Rumour does have it that he's a rich man himself so yeah." the secretary muttered, "I hope you're not gonna go too overboard with this mayor. Think of how expensive the whole thing could be. You don't wanna throw all your net worth away just to get a picture with Batman."

"I know, I know! I'm not stupid!" Andre retorted rudely, "I'm aware of my financial limitations so I'll keep well into our budget. I'll get the writing staff to send out invitations immediately and then we can prepare for the big event itself. We'll have the party tonight and Batman will come, even if we have to force him to attend!"

"I dunno, don't you think that the Justice League will take that the wrong way if you display hostile behaviour like that to Batman?" another staff member asked, "All Batman has to do is tell and the entire league will declare us the bad guys."

Andre shot a death glare at the scrawny man who had dared to question his methods.

"WHO'S the mayor here?" he said coldly.

The man would've been tempted to say "Not you, that's for sure you fat bastard!" but that would've been suicide. Sweating nervously, he chose his words carefully.

"You are Mr. Bourgeois." he said meekly.

Andre smiled in delight, straightening his tie as it gotten a bit loos during his excitement.

"That's right. Now, do as your told and get everything ready. Before I have second thoughts regarding your position" he said in a quiet, yet intimidating voice.

Nodding in response, the staff member quickly left the room to help his colleagues organize the last minute welcoming party.

Mayor Bourgeois chuckled and rubbed his hands together as he retreated to his office, gazing out of a nearby large window.

"Heh, oh Paris my dear city, these next few days will be a time to remember in all of history" he noted as he continued his gazing...but little did he realise that another guest was about to make a huge arrival...there would be laughter and agony in his wake, like a demonic storm of cruelty and misery.

* * *

Later that day, news had gotten out that Mayor Bourgeois was hosting a big party tonight to celebrate Batman's arrival in sighting in Paris. Such a story would've been impossible to keep tightly under wraps. One of the first people to hear about it were the students in Marinette and Adrien's class. They had been listening to the radio at lunch time and the musical box had been telling the story of what the mayor had planned for tonight. The whole class had listened, completely awestruck at the news.

"...the media is all abuzz with the recent reveal that Batman of Gotham City has come to Paris and it seems that our very own Mayor Bourgeois is in on the excitement. He has reported that he plans to host a party at the Le Grand Paris, his very own hotel, in honour of the Gotham vigilante. He also hopes that he'll be able to meet the Batman himself and..."

Marinette, who had been sitting with Adrien, Alya and Nino, stopped listening. She could only scowl and roll her eyes at how shallow the mayor was being right now. It was just like the fat oaf to think of the euros he could earn instead of just being happy that Batman was here now. She stabbed her fork down on top of the croissant she'd been eating as if she had a grudge against the sweet pastry.

"Can you believe that mayor?" she said angrily, "Just like that guy to make a big scene just so he can get Batman on camera! He just cares about the profits he can make from Batman's stay, that's all!"

"No doubt Chloe's gonna flaunt it in our faces that her precious daddy's hosting a party for Batman." Alya sighed, "And I bet we're not invited."

"No doubt she'll want me to come but I'm obviously gonna say no to that." Adrien agreed, "I don't wanna be anywhere near her again after she got my bodyguard akumatized."

"Hey dudes and dudettes, how epic would it be if Batman decided not to come just to spite the mayor?" Nino suggested, fighting to keep himself from laughing out loud so he could speak properly, "That'd be like majorly hilarious am I right?!"

"I'd love to be there so I could film it and post it on the Ladyblog." Alya sneered, "Chloe would never live it down and she'd have some more chinks added to her armour."

"I don't agree with the whole party idea but I really wouldn't want Batman to just humiliate the mayor like that." Marinette said nervously, "What if the mayor takes it as a personal offence and kicks him out of the country? I don't think he's done what he needs to do yet so we can't let that happen..."

Nino nodded in agreement with her "Yeah, he's gotta be here for a specific reason after all. He might be great at a lot of things, but for all we know he's not finished the job" he pointed out to them.

"Or he could just send a letter to the mayor saying he can't attend as he's too busy on a mission. I mean, it would suit his mysterious style, cos it's Batman after all." Alya responded with a smirk, still ever so pleased to be happy over the footage she caught last night.

It was then that Lila and Nathanael came over, the pair of them holding their phones as they approached the foursome friends "Hey, are you guys having trouble with your phones?" Nathanael asked politely, having calmed down over what happened between him and Marinette months ago after the Evilustrator incident.

"Not that I've noticed, dude. Why'd you ask?" Nino responded with a curious hint in his voice.

"Our phones keep glitching, either when we're trying to ring someone or browse the web, nearly everything" Lila explained.

"Yeah, and we ain't the only ones. Alix and Kim are having trouble with their ones too" the red headed painter next to the Italian girl further explained.

Marinette and Adrien carefully brought their phones out, not wanting to pull Tikki and Plagg out by accident. Turning them on, they clicked on their internet apps and did some browsing to test them. They both shrugged in response.

"Mine's alright" Adrien informed.

"Yeah, same with me. You guys might need to get a better spot, could be a satellite signal" Marinette suggested, still being the kind person she was whenever her friends had a problem.

"We could give that a try. Thanks, Mari" Lika said gratefully as she turned on her heels, with Nathanael following closely.

Nino nudged Alya and winked "Could be some of Batman's gadgets doing a sweep of the area, you never know" he said, getting a joyful finger pointed at his direction .

"That's a clever thought, detective Nino" she teased, making him blush brightly.

It was then a thought came to Adrien. If Batman was only going to come out at night, and it only started getting dark around seven in the evening, perhaps he had time to have some company around for a few hours. He was quite lonely and Nino was the only one that had been in his house...of course though, Marinette and Lila had been in there once, but they were both Ladybug and Volpina at the times, so he had no clue about the former being in there previously.

"Hey, um, how about you guys come over for a bit after school?"

Marinette, Alya and Nino all looked genuinely surprised to hear this from the teen-model. It wasn't often he invited anybody over to his house though given the kind of person his father was, it was easy to see why. Maybe something was going on so now Adrien was suddenly more confident in asking people to come around. Maybe Gabriel was more accepting of guests now.

"Adrien I'd love to!" Marinette cried excitedly.

"No way dude, you're actually asking us to come over? Awesome!" Nino exclaimed.

"So what did you say to convince your dad to allow people to come over then?" Alya snickered teasingly.

"Let's just say he's starting to defrost a bit." Adrien said casually. "That and he's keeping me home until this whole thing with Batman has been settled." he added with a lot pleasure in his voice to mention such a thing.

Marinette flustered but mentally reminded herself that she'd need to keep up the facade of never having been into Adrien's house before. Then there was meeting with Batman a bit later on, but he would come out when it was dark, so hopefully she'd be able to break off around that time to transform into Ladybug. But her nerves also gotten the better of her.

"M-Mum and dad w-would be fine with it, they've always, uh, urged, egged on at me to pay you a visit!" Marinette stuttered, trying to ease her growing nerves at the very fact she was just invited by the boy of her dreams to go to his house.

Adrien resisted the urge to giggle, having always found Marinette to be very cute when she was like this. She was a bit of a mystery to him, given how confident she was around him when he, as Chat Noir, teamed up with her to bring down the Evilustrator, now she was getting herself all flustered and nervous in front of him.

The bluenette then took a deep breath and relaxed her nerves, putting on a brave face as she faced Adrien with a smile.

"Yeah, sounds great. After school, all of us?" she suggested, her voice trying hard not to break.

Alya and Nino rolled their eyes but smirked, having grown very aware of Marinette's love for Adrien. They then gave a nod to them both.

"I'm up for it. Always a pleasure to hang out with my bro more often" Nino said as he gave Adrien a high five.

"Well, I'm quite curious about the place. And I better keep an eye on Marinette so she doesn't let the fashion lover side of her get the better of her" Alya chuckled as she flashed a wink at Marinette, earning a giggle out of the rest of her friends.

* * *

Not far off from the school, the shopping centre, we return to our billionaire bat hero in disguise, Bruce Wayne, as he entered a public computer shop, where anyone could use a laptop, pad, or computer booths to do some browsing. It was a pretty good place, as quite a few people were socialising, either by talking about the latest news on the computers, doing an online game level, or any important business work. But Bruce was here to do one thing, and that was to browse the website of Paris's local taxi service.

Logging on inside an empty computer booth, Bruce clicked on the Internet icon and put in the website's browser, mentally thanking Alfred for having taught him loads of different languages when it came to using another country's piece of tech involving its native language. Remembering the number plate of the taxi as he reached the website, Bruce typed it in the search box.

"Hopefully I can get up its location after it dropped the Riddler off." the disguised hero noted to himself.

After typing in the number plate of the taxi the Riddler had used, TR 18O2Y, he stared intently at the screen as some search results came up. But as he was searching, he couldn't help but overhear something from the people who were around nearby. They were chatting about the news, namely the fact that the Mayor of Paris was hosting a big party. What he heard next was what he didn't want to hear.

"So Le Batman is in Paris now right?" one man said, speaking in one of the thickest French accents Batman had ever heard, "And le Mayor Bourgeois is hoping to meet heem tonight!"

"I doubt Monsieur Batman will come to his big party." another man said, his voice less accented, "What need would he have to want to come to a party he's hosting?"

"I'm sure the mayor will somehow convince him to come." a woman, tall and with dark hair said, "It'll definitely be one heck of a big event for Paris. Imagine how crazy ze press will go when they get photos of him shaking hands with le Batman!"

Bruce shook his head in disappointment. Couldn't these people ever take superheroes seriously? He thought those cartoons where Aquaman was portrayed as a moron and Wonder Woman was like a barbaric brute in them were insulting enough, now he was hearing the Parisian mayor wanted him to come to a party!? Surely the mayor would've at least tried to spread a message of thanks out via broadcast or at least issue a private meet up discussing his presence in Paris. Then again, Bruce felt he should've told Ladybug and Chat Noir to've passed some of the info over to the mayor, but now he was thankful he didn't do so. It appeared to Bruce that the "mayor" was nothing but an attention seeking and money grabbing buffoon. He wouldn't be surprised if he had a secret criminal alter ego either.

But what he heard next eased his nerves slightly, as he could now hear the voices of logic arguing against the dumbness of the idea.

"I'm not sure...Le Bat of Gotham is very serious about his work. Perhaps he could send Le bird or pigeon of his to pass a message of merci to le mayor instead, non?" A young man replied.

"But Superman is very serious about his work and he finds time to shake hands with other monsieurs" the tall woman reasoned.

"Oui, oui, he does, but even he needs to find time. I think we better be grateful Le Bat is here and taking care of something that could threaten us." the man responded.

"But you don't think he and zee League of Justice are going to stamp all over Ladybug and Chat Noir, non? I mean, what if they start coming here more and steal zee limelight from them?" A younger woman then suggested.

"I really don't think Ladybug and Chat Noir care about zee limelight, ma dearie. I bet you they are as pleased as some of us that he's here. And I doubt Le Justice League want Le limelight either" another young Parisian reasoned.

That was when Bruce mentally scolded himself. He forgotten to tell Ladybug and Chat Noir why the Justice League hadn't come over to France ever since they started taking up fighting crime. Next time he were to meet the young Parisian superheroes, he were to explain everything to them. He felt he should, otherwise they'd probably demand why they never helped out before.

But he had to put those thoughts aside as he looked back at the results on the website. What Bruce read next really surprised him and fully activated the detective cells in his brain: the website had managed to access CCTV footage from a nearby building. Watching it, Bruce realised it was around the same time he arrived in Paris and when Ape-Man attacked. He watched as he saw the man in his sights gotten into the taxi and drove it off somewhere. Scrolling down to the video beneath it, Bruce watched closely as this was the last confirmed sighting of the taxi.

"So the sighting of the taxi ends here..." he murmured to himself, "The Riddler must've gotten to his destination after that. If I can find out which taxi company that particular vehicle belongs to, I could ask some questions..."

He then typed something else into the search box. What resulted from this next search was a result showing him that the taxi with the number plate he had been looking for belonged to a company known as "Paris Service de Taxis", or the "Paris Taxi Service" in English. That was definitely a lead he had to follow. He could ask the owner of the taxi what his last stop had been last night and find The Riddler at last. It seemed this mission was going easier than expected.

Bruce allowed himself the rare luxury of a smile as he memorized the name of the company and stood up from the computer. He had no further need for it. But now he began to wonder something else. What about this party the mayor was hosting tonight? Should he go or should he ignore the invitation and just focus on The Riddler? He didn't want to come off as ignoring the mayor but he also knew that he had more important business to take care of then a simple party with a politician. But then another thought occurred to him: what if the Riddler was planning to launch an attack on this party? Given how much of a smart man he was, the Riddler might've booby trapped the whole place!

Glancing at his left wrist watch, Bruce saw that it was coming up to one o'clock in the afternoon, Paris time. Having greatly studied the time difference in Europe, Bruce knew that it was possible he could track the Riddler down before seven in the evening, as that's when the darkness would start sticking it's nose in. Surely he'd be able to get hold of him before he'd put any dastardly plan of his into action, as that welcoming party would be the perfect opportunity to do such a thing. Not wanting to waste anymore time, Bruce darted out of the room after logging off, having memorised the address of the taxi service.

But if Bruce wasn't in such a hurry, he would've captured the sight of a silver haired, unattractive old man smirking sinisterly at the shopping centre's main screen that was displaying the news of the mayor's welcoming party for Batman.

"Oh, what an opportune moment. Every party needs a comedian after all. I'll be the perfect man for the job." the Joker chuckled as he sunk away into the seas of shoppers flooding the shopping centre.

* * *

For Bruce, it was a ten minute fast walk to the Paris Service De Taxis' building. From what he could see, there weren't many staff members in, just four on a lunch break, while another just hopped into his cab and started doing his hours. Bruce watched as the man climbed into his taxi and thought about asking him about The Riddler's taxi. Maybe he had been the driver and he'd have the answers.

He walked over to the taxi and called out. The driver looked up, surprised to see somebody here who wasn't a staff member. He should be getting on with his duties but he supposed he could wait a while. Maybe this man wouldn't take too long. The driver leaned out of the window as Bruce approached.

"Do you speak English?" Bruce asked curiously.

The man shook his head. He spoke no English at all so Bruce decided to try again. He spoke in French this time, asking the man about the taxi labelled TR 18O2Y and what its last stop had been. Wayne spoke fluently in the country's native language so the driver understood every word. The man replied, but not the way Bruce had wanted him to. He didn't know about the taxi and where it had gone but he wasn't totally unhelpful. He explained to Bruce that he knew the driver, identifying him as "Alexandre Durand". Bruce was also informed that Alexandre worked night shifts and that he would have to come back later if he wanted to ask him.

Bruce nodded and he walked away from the driver, allowing him to leave in his vehicle. As the taxi drove away, the billionaire CEO muttered to himself.

"If I don't speak to Alexandre Durand before dusk, The Riddler might strike by now." he sighed, "I need to find him now, I can't wait until it's time for his shift."

So now Bruce knew what he would do next. He headed off out of the taxi company, hoping for a way to find The Riddler's taxi driver. Time was ticking and he was determined to hurry...

* * *

Meanwhile, in a familiar lair with its trademark butterfly window, the room was bathed in light as the window opened up. Butterflies scattered as light came into the room and chased the shadows away. A man in a purple suit with oversized black lapels and a cane was standing in the room, allowing the butterflies to fly around him as if enjoying their dance.

"Aaah, another day, another chance to get those Miraculouses..." Hawk Moth purred wickedly, "And given there's a third in France, I'll have three times the power I crave. Ladybug, Cat Noir AND Batman's Miraculouses will be mine!"

He then held out a hand, waiting for one of his many butterflies to come to him. One of them stopped its random dance and came fluttering over to Hawk Moth as if compelled to do so.

"And given the mayor's planning a party of some kind, chances are Batman will show up. And when he does, I'll know about it." the purple-clad villain crowed as the winged insect sat down in the palm of his hand, "My akuma will be an undetectable spy and I'll know what goes on at that party once it begins."

Hawk Moth gently clamped the butterfly into his gloved hands and summoned his magic, a purple glow emitting from his hands with smoke of the same amethyst colour seeping into his palms, transforming the poor little butterfly into another devilish akuma. Smiling in dark delight, Hawk Moth unclamped his hands and waved off the akuma as it fluttered off towards the window.

"Fly away my little devil. Be good a good spy in the sky and be ready to alert me when Batman returns!" He called as the purple demon fluttered out of the closing window.

* * *

Although it was about half an hour until school was supposed to end, the mayor had ordered it to close early so he could have Chloe return in time to get sorted for the welcoming party for Batman. In order to keep up a good image, the mayor had the rest of the school closed, so this allowed Marinette, Alya, and Nino to go to Adrien's house a lot earlier. As they headed towards the limo, Alya looked back at Marinette with a smirk.

"Think you can bare a few hours with Adrien? Your mom and dad pleased your making a bigger step?" She quietly teased, earning two red fiery cheeks from the bluenette.

"Yes, I'll be fine! Besides, mama and papa have been invited to the mayor's to make some cakes for the welcoming party." Marinette explained as they neared the limo.

"That must make them feel honoured." Adrien said brightly, "Being invited to bake cakes for a party like this, I can imagine how flattered they must be."

"They did sound very excited when they heard the news." Marinette said happily as the Gorilla opened up the limo for her and Adrien to get in.

As Marinette had gotten into the limo, she had noticed the Gorilla seemed to have a softer expression on his face. Maybe he was determined to redeem himself after what had happened last night that he was trying not to appear so monstrous. The half French, half Chinese girl liked this, it meant that something positive had come out of Hawk Moth's latest scheme for a change. Chloe being punished was the first step and the Gorilla looking friendlier looked to be another.

The four friends were soon seated inside the limo and the Gorilla climbed into the driver's seat so he could drive off home. Alya and Nino both admired the flashy interior of the stretched out vehicle, clearly impressed by it. There was mood lighting, which was currently blue in colour and shifting through various shades of the colour and a mini-bar that contained soft drinks and bottles of water, appropriate for young teenagers being taken for the ride. There was also a stereo system, something Nino noticed straight away, and a television though given the short ride home, it wouldn't be needed.

"I knew limos were fancy but this really takes the cake!" Alya cried.

"I wish I could come to school every day riding in this dude!" Nino blustered, still eyeing the stereo system.

"When you're as rich as my dad, you really do get the best toys." Adrien replied modestly.

That was something Marinette really liked about the teen-model. Despite the fact he was one of the richest kids in all of France, he always seemed so modest about it. It was as if he didn't care about the many euros that were spent on him or the fact he probably had many euros in his own account. Money was second nature to the blonde boy. All he seemed to care about was making friends and having a good time. If only Chloe was more like Adrien, then she'd see that money wasn't everything.

"So Adrien, what can we, uh, expect from your house? Is it as nice as Nino puts it?" Marinette bravely asked, trying her best to hide her nervousness, along with the obviousness of the answer she was about to receive.

"Heh, it's not overly posh and it's not like we go back to Victorian England times, so you won't need to switch to any serious house rules." the rich boy softly reassured with a chuckle.

"Wait till ya see his bedroom, it's the perfect combination of everything a teenager could ever want!" Nino exclaimed with his fists flying in the air in a joyful gesture.

"Only for boys, I bet." Alya retorted with a smug look of her own.

"Oh wait till ya see his posters of-MMFFF!" Nino was cut off as Adrien clamped his hand over his mouth, a panicked look over his fair features.

"No no no no, Nino, no!" He nearly screamed, his cheeks burning red.

This gotten Marinette a little curious. Sure she had been in his bedroom twice but she never recalled seeing any posters.

"Posters? What posters?" She asked innocently, though a tiny hint of jealousy in her voice.

Adrien rubbed the back of his head shyly as Alya gotten on her interviewer face "Confession time, Adrien." she pressed, wondering if Marinette was going to find herself at war with someone other than Chloe for his heart.

"You promise not to tell anyone, right?" He nervously asked as Nino's smirk grew bigger.

"Not a soul. It'll stay in the limo" Alya responded, continuing her act as an interviewer, while Marinette's heart grew colder with the tiny jealousy in her voice. But it all warmed up in a good way when she heard his answer "It's Ladybug, okay?"

Marinette fought off the urge to leap up out of her seat in total ecstasy. Adrien had posters of Ladybug in his room! That meant Adrien did have a thing for her after all! But then again, it was a case of him falling for the heroine she was and the mask she hid behind as opposed to the person she truly was. That made the schoolgirl-secretly-a-superheroine wonder if she should be happy or sad about this revelation. Maybe she should own up and reveal that she is Ladybug? But that made her worry on how Adrien would feel about that fact. He might dump her, ashamed that the girl behind the mask was a clumsy ditz who couldn't even speak a fluent sentence to him without feeling nervous. No, the secret had to remain, the gloves couldn't come off. Forcing herself to relax, Marinette responded.

"Wow, I'm glad to hear that Adrien." she said enthusiastically, "You're a Ladybug fan too?"

"One of many no doubt." Adrien replied, "Heh, heh, I'm sure Ladybug has lots of fans."

"Well you're sharing a limo with one of them already." Alya pointed out, "And Nino likes Ladybug too."

"Yeah, that's one of many things me and Alya have in common." Nino added, glancing over at his girlfriend with something close to admiration in his spectacled eyes.

"So that makes three Ladybug fans altogether." Adrien said cheerfully, "We may as well call ourselves the Ladybug fan club or something!"

"Make that four, I'm uh, a Ladybug fan too!" Marinette lied, smiling sweetly to try and hide it.

"That's great, Marinette! Guess we should call ourselves the Spotted Ones for Our Lady...or something less silly like that..." Adrien giggled shyly as he realised he made a bit of a bad joke...

 _"Your Chat Noir is showing again, Adrien!"_ his mind scolded him, reminding the rich teenager he shouldn't let his guard down too much.

Nino was giving him a baffled look. "Dude, that's the second time in the whole year you've made a totally bad joke" he simply stated, a hint of disbelief in his voice.

"Ah, guess it's just you rubbing off on me with your nineties' quotes." Adrien retorted with a smirk, making Nino's eyes widen.

"Ohhh, burn, bro!" he exclaimed as he first bumped him.

Marinette giggled, actually finding Adrien's attempt at humour quite adorable. Even after nearly a whole year at school he was still trying to fit into the life and attitude of a proper student. That and his joke was a lot less cheesy than the likes of Chat Noir's and her father's.

Shortly thereafter, they arrived at the Agreste Mansion, where the Gorilla kindly led them out and escorted them to the front door, which he opened gently, so as to show he truly was a soft hearted gentlemen under that big exterior. Marinette let out a forced gasp along with Alya's genuine one as they came unti the hallway, taking note of how clean and well designed the place was. Marinette honestly didn't need to take much in, but given how she had more time to at least get a feeling off of it. It was majestic but...calm, the silver and grey being a nice touch of representing the void, but it was not empty. It was clear this place had seen happier times, but now it was more relaxed, appealing to both the posh and the normal people.

Leading them upstairs, Adrien led them into his multi-appealing room. Marinette now had more time to take a better look at the bedroom, which housed an arcade play booth, an air hockey desk, a surprisingly well built skateboarding ramp, a big computer section, and a built in upstairs room. There was also the door that led to his private bathroom quarters, where she thought she caught him in the shower several times in their last encounter.

"Heh, my my my, this is not what I was expecting" Alya noted as she took in her surroundings, before whispering to Marinette. "Though there could be a much cosier room upstairs." she winked, earning a nudge from Marinette.

"Oh Alya, not now, especially here of all places" she whispered back, before they both turned around to see Adrien smiling a little sadly, gaining concern from them.

"Adrien? Is everything okay?" Marinette asked worriedly.

"No no, nothing...it's just I really got these things because I always wanted to give my friends a treat when they come around. Now I've got you guys here" he explained, making it clear his soul was touched deeply here.

Marinette stifled her gasp slightly. She knew he always wanted to have friends but he was actually THIS lonely!? How long had he been waiting for this moment!? Years!? Well if he wanted friends to have fun in his awesome looking bedroom then why not!? Without stopping herself, Marinette walked over to him and did her hardest to put on a confident sided attitude. It was funny how much easier it was to put up this attitude when hidden behind a mask as Ladybug.

"You're not alone anymore Adrien. Let's have some fun." she said to him, a kind tone to her voice.

Adrien beamed so brightly that it looked as if he had suddenly become more animated and alive than ever before.

"Well there's plenty to do so take your pick!" he exclaimed, glad to finally be showing some genuine excitement and enthusiasm for once.

* * *

Meanwhile, Bruce Wayne had returned to his hotel room and opened up his communicator so he could talk to somebody back at Gotham. He had decided that if he was to find Alexandre Durand, he would contact the most valuable asset in terms of research and computers he could probably ask...Batgirl herself, Barbara Gordon. She was the daughter of Police Commissioner James Gordon and secretly operated as the female Batman expy known as Batgirl. She had once been forced to retire from that job thanks to The Joker putting a bullet in her spine but advanced medical technology had helped her to recover and now she was able to walk again. Despite being Batgirl once more, she still sometimes operated under her old alias, Oracle, in order to get information Batman required. Nobody could use a computer better than Barbara could. She was Gotham's greatest computer whiz, hacker and researcher all at once, making her one of Batman's most valuable assets in his crusade against crime.

And now she was needed to help find The Riddler's taxi driver. Bruce had informed her of what he knew so far and now she was using her intellectual skills to hack into the Paris Service De Taxi's computer database so she could find out all info on the staff that worked there.

"You do realize that I'm pretty much committing a crime right now right Bruce?" Barbara snickered.

"Sometimes you have to do the wrong thing if it means saving lives. We're only doing this for the right reasons." Bruce retorted.

"Of course, of course." Barbara replied, glancing back at the computer screen, "OK, few seconds more and...we're in!" she cried, "So you want the man named Alexandre Durand right?"

"Yes. He was the one who drove The Riddler to his destination. He'll know where he's hiding." Bruce replied.

Barbara nodded as she searched through the files she now had access too. With any luck, Alexandre's file would have the information Bruce required such as phone numbers, contact numbers and addresses. It was wrong to pry on such personal information but saving Paris from the Riddler was more important than playing saint right now.

Barbara beamed a bit as she gotten the results.

"Okay, I've got them. He lives not far from the city park, just two blocks away. The address is PR14AA. I'm uploading it to your mini pad now. So, are you going to confront him as Batman or in the disguise your currently wearing?" Barbara asked curiously as she uploaded the gained info and sent them to Bruce's pad via private messaging, keeping it hidden from any satellites looming over them in the atmosphere.

"Thank you, Barbara. I greatly appreciate it" Bruce responded with a hint of gratefulness in his voice as his pad beeped, telling him his message was received, "As for how I'm going to approach him, it's best I go as how I am ATM. It'll give me enough time to suit up once I'm done with him" he added as he looked at the address she sent to him.

"Good plan of action right there" she noted in response from her end, "Also, I managed to get hold of Wonder Woman and Zatanna. They've got info that might be helpful in us finding out more about these Miraculouses. We're planning to meet at the Gotham and Bludhaven border, civilian guises of course, just to stay safe." the brainy girl added.

That seemed to please Bruce, as it would be helpful for the Justice League should they encounter any threats relating to Hawk Moth or any of the other Miraculouses that are out in the world.

"Okay, tell me everything after you've met up with them. And be careful, Barbara." he urged, a protective tone in his voice. Bruce always blamed himself for what the Joker did to Barbara, given he wasn't out that night on patrol. If he had been aware of anything strange going on around Barabara's area, he would've gone dashing after her to prevent the Joker from carrying out his vicious attack.

"Your just like dad. Bruce, I know you blame yourself but you shouldn't. We've been through this loads of times." Barbara reassured, a calm and easier tone coming from her end, "Now get your butt off that expensive luxury and get some answers let the detective you are" she pointed out with a chuckle, making Bruce smirk in response.

He had to take his hat off to the redhead computer whiz, she knew how calm a person under such an intense moment and ease them of their worries.

"Alright. Take care, Barbara." he bid kindly.

"You too." she responded as she came off the com from her end.

Now her part in the search for The Riddler was done, Bruce switched off his mini pad and stood up from his bed. Barbara had given him a path and he was now going to take it. And then he would drag The Riddler back to Gotham, kicking and screaming if he had to. Bruce knew full well that the French authorities would probably get a little mad at him if he just dragged The Riddler back to Gotham as if he was some kind of criminal. So far, the puzzle master hadn't committed a crime in the country so the CGPD couldn't get him and the French police had no reason to arrest him. So Bruce knew full well he'd have to make The Riddler disappear from the country before anybody noticed he was even here at all. And he had an idea on how to go about that.

"First a stop to Durand...and then The Riddler..." Bruce murmured cryptically to himself as he left the room, locked up and headed on down the hallway.

As he went on his way, he briefly thought about the mayor's party. With any luck, he might actually be able to get there in time once he's completed his mission. He didn't want to be there but he also didn't want to make himself an enemy of the mayor. If he didn't show up, the politician might see it as an offence and ruin any relationships the JLA had with France. If he showed up late, he was sure the mayor would understand...

* * *

The Le Grand Paris hotel was absolutely packed.

As dusk was beginning to fall, hordes upon hordes of guests had arrived at the fancy establishment to attend this grand party that had been promised. There were political guests, celebrity guests and members of the press to film the big moment where Batman and Mayor Bourgeois shook hands and smiled for the camera, although some of the camera men had joked about if Batman was even able to smile for the camera given his supposed stoic personality. Everybody was dressed beautifully, wearing smart suits and lavish dresses that seemed to be competing with one another. Which outfit looked the best tonight was what the competition seemed to be among them. The grand hall was full of tables and chairs and there was the usual buffet table with nibbles and bite-sized treats for everybody to enjoy and as promised, more French champagne than the party possibly needed. It was the perfect scene for such a party and everybody was beginning to enjoy themselves.

There was one individual who wasn't in a good mood though. And that was Chloe Bourgeois. Ever since her father had punished her, she had refused to speak to him all day. That was the one thing that made Chloe so hated among anybody who knew her. She seemed unwilling to own up to her mistakes, always acting as if she's not the one at fault. Nothing was ever her fault in her eyes. Instead of well-deserved punishment, she saw only injustice and even now she was refusing to come out of her room to mingle with the guests despite her father pleading with her to come.

"Come on dearest, I'm sure Batman would love to have a photo with you too." Andre said feebly

"Who cares about stupid Batman?!" Chloe snapped angrily, "He's just here to make Ladybug look bad! We don't need that moody, pointy-headed creep in Paris and I certainly am not coming down to meet him!"

"You will do as you are told Chloe or I may have to punish you some more." the mayor warned, "And you know I hate punishing you so you better get yourself ready and come down to the party or else!"

For a moment there was silence, then she stamped on the floor, making the chandelier's shake a little.

"Alright, I'm coming! Only for Ladybug though!" she called, making the mayor sigh in utter relief.

He then looked around to see several guests looking shocked at what they just heard. Andre chuckled nervously and pulled his tie a bit.

"Oh, heh, just a shy daughter not sure on what to say to the Dark Knight, that's all" he reassured. Though they didn't look thrown off by it, the guests nodded their heads and returned to the others to socialise.

It was then that Marinette's father, Tom Dupain-Cheng, came over to the mayor, tapping his shoulder. Much like Adrien's bodyguard, Tom was a big Frenchman, his arms the size of punchbags! But he had such a soft personality that you would consider him a human sized version of the BFG. His moustache turned upright with his smile as the mayor turned to him.

"Ah yes, Mr Dupain-Cheng, what is it?" he asked politely, as he always loved the cakes he and his wife made.

"We've just finished the three big cakes you had ordered to be done, sir. Care to take a look?" Tom responded in a similar tone.

"Certainly! Can't wait to see what majestic craft of baking you've done this time, my good sir" Andre responded with excitement in his voice, following after the friendly baker to the kitchens...only for a pair of haunting eyes to trail after them.

"The kitchen...ah yes, that'll do just fine" the silver haired monster chuckled to himself as he then began to creep after a member of the kitchen staff, patting the knife in his pocket as he followed him down an empty corridor...

* * *

Back at the Agreste mansion, Adrien and his friends had gathered around the rich teen's television set to watch the news. They had all exhausted themselves playing with his toys and games and were now taking a break to rest up. They had put the news on because they wanted to see if Batman was indeed going to show up at the mayor's party. Alya and Nino seemed to be hoping he wasn't so that they could get the pleasure of laughing at the mayor's humiliation. The news story displayed scenes of the elegantly decorated hall with many people wandering around sipping champagne and waving at the cameras. Marinette, Adrien, Alya and Nino all recognized a few faces, including the famed rock star Jagged Stone, who was sitting at a table with his pet crocodile Fang and chatting to somebody. It wasn't at all surprising that Mayor Bourgeois had managed to get a lot of famous faces into his party. The wealthy could contact pretty much anybody they wanted.

"Look at that big party all nicely set up for Batman." Alya smirked, "It'll just make it more humiliating for the mayor when he doesn't show up."

"No doubt Chloe will get all mad about that!" Nino jeered.

"I've gotta say that this whole thing's a risky gambit." Marinette muttered, "I can only imagine how much euros were put into this party and it could easily blow up in the mayor's face! I sure hope the buffoon's ready to deal with the consequences if all this goes wrong."

"You know politicians Marinette, they can spin lots of things in their favour and try to make anything seem less bad. It's how they work." Adrien sighed.

Marinette nodded and glanced back at the screen. At least she could enjoy seeing her mother and father when they showed off the cakes they were making for the party. They had even promised to bring some home for their daughter to have herself and share with her class. That was one good thing that would result from the party if all went wrong. And all was about to go VERY, VERY wrong indeed...

* * *

Meanwhile, Bruce Wayne was on his way towards Alexandre Durand's house. He had decided to take a taxi there so he wouldn't waste time travelling on foot. To avoid suspicion from the driver who had brought him here though, he had decided to get off at a stop close to the address he wanted to be at. He could walk the rest of the way easily. Dusk was beginning to fall so the streets were beginning to get dark. There was still enough light for Bruce to see without any need for a torch or an overhead street light. Soon it would be time for Batman to appear and he was already prepared for that. Once he was done with Durand, he would change costumes and swing into the night once more.

Shortly after turning two corners, Bruce found his destination after following the map on his pad. By the looks of it, Alexandre's place was not too bad, it had the odd graffiti there or two given it was on the end of a very busy street, and it had an odd choice of painting done to it. But Bruce's detective eyes allowed him to take notice that the taxi man's home had a balcony on it. Glancing around to see if the coast was clear, and indeed it was, Bruce pocketed his pad and sprinted towards the wall, taking three steps up the side of it, and thanks to his great height, he was able to get hold of the balcony's ledge.

Pulling himself up, Bruce made sure not to grunt or knock anything in case his prey was indeed inside. Just steadying himself for a moment, Bruce noticed the door to the inside of the house was opened ajar. Peeking his eyes through the gap, Bruce could see Alexandre sitting on his recliner chair, his dinner on a tray in front of him as he was watching the live news showing the welcoming party.

Being as silent as he could, Bruce slid the door open as slowly as he could. Seeing he had enough room to creep through, Bruce crouched down and made his way in, keeping his fists clenched as he knew a fight was about to occur. If there was to be a fight, he'd have to end it quickly and quietly, so as not to disturb the neighbours. Bruce approached the taxi driver, Durand not even noticing he had an intruder as he forked a snail on his plate and popped it in his mouth. But just as the man swallowed, he looked to his right. He had been about to glance over at the clock just to see what time it was. He would be needed for his night shift soon and he wanted to make sure he wasn't late. But what Durand saw instead was a man he had never met before standing over him with clenched fists.

"SACRE BLEU!" he exclaimed, almost leaping out of his chair in disbelief.

Bruce shot forward at lightning speed, appearing as nothing more than a blur as he moved towards his target. He put a hand over Alexandre's mouth, preventing him from yelling again. Last thing he needed was anybody nosing in to see what was happening.

"I'm not gonna hurt you." Bruce said softly, hoping that the tone of his voice would ease the man's nerves, "I'm not your enemy. I need to ask you something that could save lives if you cooperate."

Durand wasn't sure if he should answer this man. On the one hand he had broken into his home and was now preventing him from speaking. On the other hand, he said he wanted to ask something that could save lives. Maybe he was a good guy and just needed help? Nodding, Alexandre decided to cooperate. Bruce took his hand away so he could speak.

"Very well monsieur, what do you want?" he asked cautiously.

"It is my understanding that you took a man named Edward Nygma somewhere last night." Wayne replied, "Where did you take him? You're a taxi driver so you must have the address or else you wouldn't have been able to take him there."

Alexandre froze in horror. This man knew about his boss! What would the Riddler do if he found out he'd squealed on him? The Frenchman was now reluctant to cooperate.

"I...I don't know who you're talking about!" he stammered, "I don't know who zis Edward Nygma person is!"

"Do you want me to decide that I'm your enemy after all and hurt you?" the disguised superhero threatened.

Alexandre had second thoughts the second he heard that dangerous rise in his voice, and sweated a little bit as he realised it was best not too cross this man's temper.

"Okay, I'll talk, I'll talk!" he cried just above a whisper, waving his hands pleadingly in fear.

Bruce gave him a nod and his gaze hardened "Go on then, but make it quick" he said in a stern tone.

* * *

Just as Bruce was being informed on The Riddler's whereabouts, the party at the Le Grand Paris was about to unveil one of its main attractions.

Tom Dupain and Sabine Cheng strode into the grand hall together with the cakes that Mayor Bourgeois had tasked them with baking for the big nightly event. The two bakers had clearly put their all into it for the cakes were enormous, all three of them easily larger than the mayor himself. In fact, they were larger than everybody who had been invited to the party tonight. One cake was decorated with red icing and had black icing spots all over. A ribbon carrying Ladybug's masked features was tied around the middle, clearly showing who this cake was for. The second cake was decorated with black icing and had yellow icing paw prints tattooed all over the huge dessert. That cake had a ribbon with Cat Noir's face on, advertising the fact that cake was for him. And the third one was not only taller than the Ladybug and Cat Noir cakes, but coloured with grey icing with black icing around the top and carried the face of Batman on a ribbon around the middle.

It was quite clear that the purpose behind these cakes was to honour the local heroes of Paris and to welcome Batman into the country. Andre looked pleased to show them off as Tom and Sabine stood by them, displaying the cakes in all their glory. They looked very proud of their handiwork.

"Appetizing looking cakes aren't they?" Andre said proudly to a cameraman who was focusing his camera on the giant desserts behind him, "And all for the heroes of Paris and our American guest hero, Batman! And to think this was my idea too!"

Tom and Sabine rolled their eyes behind, as he never came up with the design styles for the cakes. Still, they weren't about to storm off in an angry fit, because that would make them look wrong in the eyes of the public. And of course, they weren't the only ones rolling their eyes, as Adrien, Marinette, Alya, and Nino rolled their eyes as they watched the event from Adrien's bedroom TV.

"There we go, a glimpse of our beloved mayor's true colours" Alya noted in mock enthusiasm.

But of course, they all failed to notice the purple devil floating near the camera's view, as the akuma was helping Hawk Moth oversee the events of the night. The purple suited villain frowned from where he was watching this inside his lair via the telepathic link he had with the corrupt butterfly.

"How odd. The mayor is being the fat buffoon he is, but no sign of the heroes. This better not be a waste of time" he muttered, clearly showing he didn't want to be disappointed this night.

But as everyone watched, or in Bruce's case, overheard, the following events, the camera caught sight of a silver haired middle aged man, dressed in the uniform of an assistant chef, making a creepy smirk as he gazed down at the cakes, an evil look in those haunting, cold eyes of his.

The man laughed briefly as he then pulled something out of his apron pocket. It was some kind of remote device that was clearly meant for something but if anybody was looking at him and seeing it, they would be puzzled as to what it was for. The man pressed a button on the remote. For a moment, nothing happened as if the button wasn't even meant to do anything at all.

And then the three cakes all exploded at once, blowing the mayor and both Tom and Sabine off their feet. Anybody else standing nearby was knocked over by the blast too. The explosion was surprisingly loud, so loud that all the windows in the hall shattered and the chandeliers above fell to the ground and smashed into a thousand pieces after being shaken too much by the force of the blast. Some of the guests were hurt or cut badly by the broken glass and others were still reeling from the explosion that had knocked them off their feet. Showers upon showers of cake rained down over everybody, making a terrible mess. Cake, glass and blood was everywhere. Amazingly enough though, nobody had been killed by the attack. At the most, there were people injured either mildly or critically but no deceased bodies were around.

Over in the Agreste mansion, the four teens had watched with horror as the cakes had exploded. But nobody was more horrified than Marinette herself. She had gone rigid and pale with horror as she watched her parents get blown away.

"MOM! DAD!" she shrieked, leaping out of her chair.

At the party, everybody began to panic. The room was filled with screams of terror as people gesticulated and cried out wildly and for those who were actually able to stand up again, they began to run for their lives. But they couldn't go anywhere for the doors all magically seemed to lock themselves. The silver-haired man was doing that too, using his remote device to seal all the doors. Everybody was trapped in the room with nowhere to go and no means of escape. The hall was too high up for anybody to climb out the window so that wasn't an option. Tom got up on his knees and cradled Sabine gently, the Chinese woman barely conscious. The mayor, who was lying next to a very bloodied Chloe Bourgeois, sat up and stared as the man who had caused the whole chaos seemed to tear his own face off. It wasn't his actual face of course, only a latex mask that the Dollmaker had supplied for him. In a matter of seconds, the magic trick was completed. The silver-haired man was no longer standing there. Instead, there was only The Joker, back in his normal clothes and skin colour and laughing like a demented hyena.

Bruce had glanced over at the television and he and Alexandre both watched as The Joker revealed himself. The sight of the Clown Prince of Crime made Bruce's blood run cold.

"No..." he whispered, "Not him..."

The Joker laughed some more and then turned to the terrified camera man, a dazzling, creepy smile spreading across his white face.

"The Joker is here Frenchies!" he loudly announced, clearly pleased with himself, "And he's here to get the party started! AH, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA! And now, I want somebody to answer a question for me..."

He came closer to the camera so now his face filled up the whole screen. His cryptic question was going to be broadcast all over Paris, so every Parisian heard these single words uttered by the clown criminal.

"Where. Is. BATMAN?!"

* * *

 _ **Well Batman, looks like your trip to France just got worse...**_

 _ **The Joker is causing a scene and all of France is watching! What will happen when Batman, Ladybug and Cat Noir come to challenge The Joker?**_

 _ **Tune in next time as the fight commences in a three-on-one battle to save France...**_


	7. Chapter 6: Of Ladybugs and Jokesters

**Chapter 6: Of Ladybugs and Jokesters**

It was hard to believe that a party and a massacre could be associated with one another. In fact, one would find it impossible to imagine a scene that somehow combines a lot of damage, frightened people and lots of cake and balloons. But that was the scary, disturbing thing about The Joker. He could turn the most innocent and joyful of occasions into something utterly horrific.

That was what had happened at the Le Grand Paris. The Mayor had been hoping to throw a party in Batman's honour, though the whole thing was more a publicity stunt for his own benefit than to show affection for Gotham's Dark Knight. But The Joker had blown up the three cakes that Tom and Sabine had made for the party and trapped all the guests inside. And now he was ranting at a camera that was focused on him, asking the cryptic words that would force his enemy to come out of hiding.

"Where. Is. BATMAN?!"

He swept his eyes over the hall, looking at all the frightened guests. What a sight it was to see them all sniveling in fear at him! It seemed that even out of Gotham, things didn't change with him. It was always the same whenever he brought his reign of terror to the world.

"He Frenchies, stop looking at me like that!" the clown criminal exclaimed, grinning manically, "I only asked a simple question. Where is Batman?! I want to teach him a lesson for thinking he could run away from me!"

As the purple-clad, white-faced clown made his scene, Hawk Moth's possessed butterfly took in the sight, its master able to see everything the butterfly saw through its own eyes. Hawk Moth had watched the cakes explode and The Joker unveil himself. He had never seen anything like him before. He tapped his chin with his cane in thought.

"Who is this clown-themed man?" he purred, "Is he...one of mine?"

He shook his head dismissively.

"No...my akuma hasn't possessed anybody. He can't be mine! Can he...?" he wondered.

Shrugging, Hawk Moth decided to watch on anyway.

"Maybe if Ladybug, Cat Noir and Batman show up, this stranger could help me in seizing their Miraculouses!" he said excitedly, "Yes...I can practically feel them in my grasp now!"

His eyes turned a frosty cold as he watched all of the events unfold.

* * *

With where he was in Alexandre's apartment, Bruce's eyes were wide in terror as he saw the Joker showing off his menacing and clownish look around at all the guests at the party. How could HE of all his enemies be here in Paris now!? The thought of all those people ending up dead at the Joker's hands made his blood run cold, because he knew the Clown Prince of Crime wouldn't show a single shred of remorse over doing it. He had to get there and stop him!

But first of all, he had to take care of Alexandre, whom he still had against the wall. He grabbed him by the collar of his jacket and dragged him towards the bedroom, leaving the Frenchman startled.

"M-Monsieur! What are you doing!?" he exclaimed as Bruce opened up the wardrobe door and tossed him in there.

"Your not going anywhere until I get back. You still need to tell me everything about the Riddler, and don't even think of screaming, because I know for a fact no one will hear you." Bruce coldly responded, not really thinking much about Alexandre's well being as he slammed the wardrobe door shut, before using all of his strength to shove his bed in front of the wardrobe doors to prevent them opening. With that he stormed out of the room and headed back to the balcony he gotten in through.

"Master Bruce? Forgive me for not speaking up a little earlier, but I've activated the Bat-Drone you brought with you to the hotel. It's heading to your location now, so just hop onto the roof and you can be ready to change." Alfred's voice informed through the earpiece, to which Bruce nodded as he gained the info.

"Heading on the roof now, Alfred, thank you." he said as calmly as he could, trying not to let his nerves get the better of him. He had to hurry and fast, before the Joker would start slashing down any innocents with whatever horrible tools he had in him tonight.

* * *

But in the Agreste mansion, a certain Bluenette was struggling to calm her nerves down at what was happening.

"No...mom...dad..." Marinette breathed slowly. Her chest was tightening and she was aware that she was hyperventilating. She was terrified, more terrified than she'd ever been in her life.

She, Adrien, Alya and Nino had seen the whole scene on the Agreste boy's computer. They had tuned into the news and had been horrified when the cakes exploded. Thankfully nobody was dead yet but given this was The Joker they were seeing, it could very easily turn for the worst.

"That's horrible!" Alya shrieked, "How could this freak do this to all these people?!"

"I have a nasty feeling that we should know who that dude is!" Nino cried, "Isn't Batman's arch-enemy some clown guy named the Jester or something?"

"The JOKER." Adrien corrected, "Following Batman on the blogs, they always talk about him fighting a guy called The Joker. He's said to be Gotham's worst nightmare. I dunno all the details but the fact he's here means Paris in in for some real shit tonight..."

Marinette was still so horrified at her parents getting hurt that she barely even noticed that the normally mild-mannered Adrien had just swore. She was feeling light-headed and clutched her chair as if her life depended on it.

"Oh no...my mom and dad could get killed!" the French girl shrieked, "I-I-I...I-I gotta help them!"

"Marinette, are you out of your mind?!" Alya screamed, "You can't go there! The Joker will blow you up with some booby-trapped custard pie or whatever!"

"But mom and dad are in danger! I can't just sit here and do nothing!" Marinette retorted, "I need to help them!"

"And maybe you can." Adrien said calmly, "You're a Ladybug fan right? You said so yourself earlier. Maybe you know how to find her. You could get her for help."

Marinette took this in and thought. Yes, that was a good idea. Of course, she was Ladybug so she wouldn't need to call herself but Adrien's idea gave her a good excuse to get out of the mansion so she could transform. It really helped to have smart people helping you in situations like this. Beaming, Marinette gripped Adrien's shoulders and almost bounced up and down.

"Adrien you're a genius!" she exclaimed, "Ladybug will save my parents! And maybe Cat Noir and Batman too!"

Alya then stepped in between the two of them.

"Hang on a sec, if you two are thinking of going outside together, don't you think that's a little risky? What if the Joker has done goons out on the streets!?" she pointed out. Though she often found these sort of things exciting, the fact that Batman's most frightening and unpredictable foe was the cause of this latest attack certainly didn't have the young fan girl in such a happy buzz.

But Marinette shook her head, a hard look on her face.

"Alya, if I have a chance to rescue my parents, I'm taking it! Ladybug's that one chance and I need her now!" she exclaimed.

Before any of them could say another word, the French bluenette dashed out of the bedroom door. Alya went to go after her, but Adrien put his hand out in the way, stopping her.

"No, you and Nino stay here! I'll go get her!"

Just like Marinette before him, Adrien was out of the door like an Olympic speedster, leaving the couple stunned.

"If those two get hurt, I'm gonna throttle them!" Alya said with panic in her voice.

"I feel the same, but if Ladybug and Chat Noir show up as always, we probably don't need to worry" Nino tried to reassure as calmly as he could, smoothing her shoulders.

All Alya could do was let out a distressed sigh as her hazel eyes trailed over to the nearby TV screen that was displaying the events that the Joker was causing.

Once outside, Marinette hid behind the mansion itself and opened up her bag, revealing Tikki inside. The kwami had been quietly munching on cookies at the time and was surprised to find herself being let out of the bag.

"Tikki, emergency at Le Grand Paris! Need to transform! Now!" Marinette cried, speaking in sentence fragments to get the point across quicker.

"Not like Hawk Moth to make his move so soon after his last one..." Tikki murmured.

"It isn't Hawk Moth. It's The Joker!" Marinette squealed, "Looks like another of Batman's foes has caught up to him."

"Oh no!" the little magical creature exclaimed, "We really have got to help!"

"I know, especially since my parents are there." the teen-girl said, "Tikki, SPOTS ON!" she yelled.

Her transformation began with Tikki vanishing into her earrings, changing her from plain normal Marinette into the Miraculous Ladybug herself. As she transformed, one thought persisted through Marinette's mind.

 _Hang on mom and dad...Ladybug is on the way..._

Meanwhile, Adrien had run out into his overly large back garden, clear out of sight and safe to transform with no witnesses. He opened up his jacket, releasing Plagg from inside. Plagg looked half asleep, as if he needed to get into bed.

"Hey Adrien, can we wait a few hours?" he yawned, "I haven't finished my cat nap..."

"No time!" Adrien cried, "The Joker's attacking Mayor Bourgeois's hotel! We've gotta save everybody!"

"Whoa, hold the phone there! You mean..." Plagg gasped for a moment, "...Batman's Enemy Numéro un is...here?!"

"Fraid so." Adrien sighed, "You know the drill buddy. Plagg, CLAWS OUT!" he cried.

Plagg was sucked into the ring as the transformation from Adrien to Cat Noir began. As he began to change, Adrien thought to himself about something.

 _I hope I'm not too late. And I hope Batman will be there too..._

* * *

Meanwhile, The Joker had grabbed the fame rock guitarist, Jagged Stone, by the throat and was shaking him around wildly. He was still expecting an answer to his question on where Batman was but nobody had been able to answer. He was beginning to get frustrated and was desperate for somebody to provide an answer. Fang the Crocodile growled but The Joker didn't even take any notice.

"Hey fashion disaster, do you know where Batman is?!" the clown demanded, "You better have an answer or your pet crocodile will get hungry for YOU!"

The British rockstar's arms trembled in fear as he shakily held them up, a dumbfounded look on his face.

"L-Look mate, I wouldn't have a clue, alright!? He's not hiding i-in my van, because that would be stupid, wouldn't it?" he tried to reason.

The Joker rolled his eyes, only for them to crack open a little wider as he looked back at Jagged Stone.

"You seriously think he'd slip in among some rockstar's fashion bombed van to hide from me!? That's one of the worst jokes ever!" he yelled as he backhanded the Brit before slashing him across the arm with his knife, making Jagged cry out in pain as he fell to the floor, clutching his bleeding arm in agony.

His crocodile, Fang, went to bite the Joker's leg, only for the red lipped clown to jump over the crocodile hopscotch style, finishing it by stamping on the reptile's tail, earning a yelp from it. This just made the Joker laugh madly at the injuries he just delivered.

"Ha! Call yourself a crocodile!? Killer Croc would eat you and many fishes for breakfast!" he madly exclaimed as he then zoomed around at the frightened crowd members like a typical pantomime villain would do to the audience he was performing for.

That was until an annoying, stuck up voice reached his ears.

"Now you listen to me, you mental freak! THIS is my daddy's home, so treat it with respect or Ladybug will come to kick your butt and put you back on the street with all the other hobos!"

The Joker just smirked as he twirled on his heels, facing the owner of the voice: it was no neither than Chloe Bourgeois, who was standing there with her arms crossed and tapping her foot in impatience, almost as if she was unfazed by everything he had done. But that just made the Joker ever more excited as he juggled his knife in between his hands, surprisingly not cutting himself.

"Ohh? Your the young lady of the house? Not amused by anything Le Clown is giving to you? Hmm...might as well put a smile on your face!" he laughed madly as he then dashed towards Chloe, who squealed like a little pig as he came closer to her.

In response to the Joker's incoming attack, she grabbed Sabrina and put her in front of her like a human shield "Protect me, Sabrina!" she cried, making her red headed friend scream out in fright as the knife wielding Joker came bolting towards her. Sabrina wrestled free and ran for her life, abandoning Chloe to her fate. The Joker lashed out with his knife at the Mayor's daughter...but no strike from the small blade ever came.

Instead, the Joker found himself backhanded by the large fist of Tom Dupain-Cheng, who sent him flying to the floor. Though stunned by the attack, the Joker chuckled as he rubbed his aching face, feeling it swelling from the whack he received from the big Frenchman, whom he stood up and looked at.

"Oh my my, what a big man you are. Bane would be impressed. Oh, was that your cakes I blew up? I'm sorry, but my critical views on things can get very explosive!" he laughed at the joke he made, but Tom was utterly unimpressed. Though the baker felt quite nervous for his and his wife's safety, he felt someone had to stand up to the Joker, and he couldn't just let him stab Chloe, even though she often bullied his daughter.

"Now you listen to me, mister. You might think hurting people is a huge load of fun and games to you, but these people have lives and others they love. What you just did is going to get you in a lot of trouble. When Batman comes, he's going to make sure your locked away in the dark hole you crept out of" Tom bravely said, hovering his large arm in front of his wife to protect her from any arm.

The Joker yawned and gestured a yapping mouth with his hand, smirking "That was epically boring, big baker boy, but it's not everyday an ordinary man pops out of nowhere to stand up to me. Even if they give me a boring as crap speech!" he exclaimed as he twirled the knife around in his fingers.

That made the huge, muscular man lose his composure briefly. Now seeing the knife in The Joker's hand, he began to feel uneasy. What if the Clown Prince of Crime attacked him? He'd be powerless to take him out, especially since his earlier punch hadn't even fazed The Joker. Sabine clutched Tom tightly as if sharing his fear.

"Tom, I think you were unwise to provoke him..." she whispered.

"Your lady friend sure is right big guy!" The Joker sneered, suddenly up in Tom's face and pointing the knife at his throat.

How had he got there so fast?! Tom hadn't even seen him move! One minute he was there, the next minute he had moved! It was like a magic trick, but an unpleasant one. Tom flinched, clutching Sabine harder to himself. He could feel the smaller Chinese woman shaking against his torso.

"So you're a baker aren't you?" the clown purred, "Well then, maybe I could prepare a special for everybody in this room! Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh! What should I call it? How about "Beef-Cake"?! AH, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA!"

He then suddenly grabbed Tom and wrestled him down onto the floor with little effort. That surprised the French baker, he hadn't expected such a skinny, scrawny looking man to be so strong. Sabine cried out with terror, her eyes full of tears.

"Oh god, no, Tom! Please sir, don't hurt him!" she whimpered.

The Joker pinned Tom down to the floor and held his knife just above the back of his neck. If he pushed down, the blade would insert itself into the thick neck and kill the man instantly. Sabine was rooted to the spot, the Chinese woman too afraid to move as if fearing moving would provoke him. The Joker stared at her with a crazed look in his eyes.

"If you want this walking muscle factory to live shorty than I suggest you answer my question! You know where Batman is?" he demanded.

"No monsieur but if you don't hurt my husband, maybe we could find him for you!" Sabine begged.

"Yes, let's find Batman so that he can deal with this ruffian!" Mayor Bourgeois declared, trying to seem like a hero to the guests.

The Joker looked up, his cold stare fixed on the mayor. Somehow, his smile now looked even scarier than normal.

"So you think you're a big shot do you?! Just because you're some fool in a suit and tie?!" The Joker screeched, "AH, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA! How droll! Let's see if big heads like you bleed any differently to the people I've killed!"

The Joker went to toss his knife towards the mayor, only for him to cry out in shock as a black dotted red yoyo shot out of nowhere, smacking the knife out of his hands and sent it flying into a nearby wall instead. Before the Joker could even react, a red fist crashed into his left cheek, sending him flying off of Tom and crashed into a table holding several drinks, which drenched him as they spun in the air, before shattering into smaller chunks of glass. Calmly wiping his face, the Joker opened his demonic eyes to see an angry looking Ladybug standing fiercely in front of Tom and Sabine, her blue eyes cold as she stared down the Joker.

"You keep away from them you monster!" she ordered with a hiss.

The Joker just laughed as he sprung to his feet, smoothing his hair back as if to charm the spotted heroine, who began to swing her yoyo, readying to launch another attack, but the villainous clown was unfazed by it.

"My my, you look even more fabulous face to face, Madame. Am I to have this dance?" he asked as he flipped out an even larger kitchen knife from his smart jacket.

All of a sudden though, he was whacked up the nose and jabbed in the chest, catching him by surprise and knocking him backwards slightly. Patting his chest to ease the bruise he received, the Joker looked up to see Chat Noir standing beside Ladybug, a fierce look in his green feline orbs.

"No one touches M'Lady or the people we protect" he said, his voice dripping with seriousness no one ever heard of. No one could really blame Ladybug and Chat Noir for being ultra serious here, they were dealing with an insane killer!

Said insane killer let out a groan and made a dramatic rub of his forehead.

"Oh my oh my, I demanded a bat, not a cat!" he yelled as he pointed the knife at Chat Noir, before smirking, "So, curlylocks, are you Batman and Catwoman's son? Because that's another thing I'd gladly have bite the dust!" the Joker exclaimed madly as his pupils went to slits with all that madness in him driving his strength and energy here.

"Sorry to disappoint but I'm not related to Catwoman or Batman." Cat Noir snorted, "Though it'd be awesome if I was."

"What's the big idea Joker?!" Ladybug demanded, "Why are you wrecking up the place and demanding Batman's head on a platter? You have no right to bring your reign of terror to France!"

"I don't believe in rights and rules!" The Joker sneered, "Only chaos and madness! AH, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA!"

He then sprang towards the French heroes as if fired from a gun and drop kicked both of them in the face, knocking them over. As Ladybug and Cat Noir were downed, The Joker spun his larger knife around in his hand, still managing to not to cut himself amazingly. He then threw it at Ladybug as she was standing up. Screaming in fright, Ladybug through herself down on the ground just as the knife swept over her head. It managed to cut a few tiny strands but otherwise did nothing of any real harm. The spotty heroine picked herself up and spun her yoyo around as The Joker's knife boomeranged back into his hand. The clown merely laughed as if the whole thing was hilarious to him.

Ladybug sprinted towards the purple-clad villain, keen to whale on him as much as possible. But then The Joker suddenly squeezed the flower on his jacket as Ladybug neared him. A spray of acid leapt out of the seemingly harmless decoration and hit Ladybug in the chest. The heroine screamed in agony as the acid ate away at the fabric on her costume, exposing a circular patch of skin that was beginning to turn red from the irritation of the acid. She staggered back, grimacing in pain. Cackling menacingly, The Joker advanced on her, knife in hand.

"I always did prefer bats over bugs anyway." he sneered as he raised the knife, ready to make the kill.

Hawk Moth's akuma was watching the fight and Hawk Moth saw clear as daylight as The Joker was about to stab Ladybug. He was smiling to himself gleefully.

"Yes...if that maniac kills her, I can seize her Miraculous from her rotting corpse!" he cried, "This "Joker" person's making my job easier for me!"

But the purple-clad, butterfly themed villain wouldn't get his wish for Ladybug recovered surprisingly quickly and uppercut The Joker in the chin. The clown's head snapped backwards so hard that the spotty heroine was amazed it hadn't come off. She then picked herself up and wrapped her yo-yo around his ankles. She was about to trip up The Joker but the clown sprayed acid at the wire with his flower, cutting the string in two. Ladybug gasped in horror as she saw her now useless yo-yo lie on the floor.

"Wh-what?! Bu-but my yo-yo's supposed to be unbreakable!" she protested.

"Acid breaks anything toots!" The Joker mocked, "I thought you'd know that already!"

Chat Noir suddenly slashed him down the side of his face, making the Joker cry out in pain as blood was drawn from his cheek. Before the clown had time to react, Chat Noir gave him an uppercut and gave him a nasty bash in the gut with his bo-staff.

"You keep away from her you piece of filth!" he ordered as he then went to punch the Joker in the face, only for his fist to be caught by the mad clown, who tossed him over his shoulder and sent him flying onto the staircase. Grunting, he looked up to see the Joker tossing out a knife towards him, but Chat dodged the incoming weapon.

"Filth? Last time I checked, cats lived in the alleys! So look who's talking!" the Joker mocked madly, digging deep into his jacket pockets and pulling out a pair of toy guns.

As Chat new better than to poke fun at the weapons, Ladybug looked down at her damaged yoyo, the broken string suddenly glowed a light pink, the light extending from the slashed point and trailed towards the injured heroin, who found the light coming into her hands. The yoyo then sparkled a bright violet, which connected towards Ladybug, who gasped as she was lifted into the air, her eyes glowing a bright pink as the glow of the same colour stretched over her body, her skin healing up, and the damage to her outfit was repaired in a matter of five seconds. Gently touching ground, the bluenette heroine's eyes stopped glowing and found the string had been repaired. Surprised, she rubbed the patch of where her injury once was, before smiling a little.

"Of course...the magic" she whispered. A sudden bang, however, brought her back to reality.

The Joker fired one of the toy guns, which popped out a flag saying "HaHa!". Chat stayed his ground, though, knowing very well what could happen next. About ten seconds later, the flag fired out like a rocket, which zoomed straight towards the black clad hero, who leapt to the side to avoid the rocket bullet, only for a volley of others to come right at him. Bouncing up the staircase, Chat leapt up to the second floor as the Joker continued to fire away at him.

"Come back kitty! Puss puss! Cmon, I won't bite this time!" he laughed as he began to dash up the staircase, only for a certain yoyo to wrap around one of his ankles.

Before he could react, the clown found his face smashing against the floor as he was pulled back by Ladybug, who swung him down onto the table behind her.

Dazed for a moment, the Joker looked shocked as Ladybug stood in front of him.

"What!? But I got you and your toy with acid!" He cried in surprise, his grin now well off his chalk white face for the time being.

Ladybug smirked confidently at him, "It's magic, moron. Magic can heal anything" she responded in a cool tone, before swinging the clown around in a circular pattern and tossing him out through one of the hotel's windows. The Joker cried out in...excitement as he slammed onto the road outside, slight tears in his suit thanks to smashing through some glass.

As he spat out some blood, the Joker saw a bo-staff tap the ground with a thud as Chat landed in front of him after leaping from the hotel's balcony.

"Ready to close the circus, clown?" the blonde haired boy calmly asked as he aimed his bo-staff at him.

The Joker looked as if he was ready to continue fighting. He was poised, ready to strike, centre of gravity balanced. Ladybug and Cat Noir braced themselves, waiting for another attack. But then suddenly...The Joker threw up his hands and dropped his action-ready expression. He now looked suddenly pathetic and weak as if he'd had enough and just wanted to go home already.

"OK! Ya got me! Paris's mighty heroes are way too powerful for poor, pathetic me!" he whimpered.

That made the French heroes stare at him incredulously. The Joker...was surrendering?! But that couldn't be, the Clown Prince of Crime was not known to just give up like that! Ever! They didn't lower their guard. Ladybug twirled her yo-yo around, ready to strike.

"Nice try clown boy but we ain't buying it..." she scowled.

"Buying what? There's no act whatsoever! I really mean what I say!" the clown-themed crime master insisted, "I give up! Ya may as well slap the cuffs on me!"

He held his hands out as if inviting them to do just that. Of course, Ladybug and Cat Noir didn't have handcuffs but they nevertheless looked at each other and then back at their opponent. On the one hand, they still didn't believe it. The Joker had to be tricking them. But on the other hand, he did seem pretty genuine about his defeat. Maybe they had defeated him after all? Still being cautious, Ladybug slowly approached The Joker. She intend to tie him up with the yo-yo and haul him off to be thrown away in a jail cell.

"You better not be lying Joker or you're in for even worse pain than what you've already gotten." the red and black superheroine warned.

"Oh really Ladykiller, why would I be lying?" The Joker asked innocently.

"It's LadyBUG actually." retorted Ladybug.

"Whatever." the criminal jester sighed, "Oh and just to show I'm not faking, accept this gift from me as a token of my apology for causing sooooo much trouble!" he added.

He then proceeded to pull out a cream pie from nowhere. It was like a magic trick, pulling things just out of thin air. Cat Noir blinked, wondering where the pie had even come from. Ladybug hesitated, not sure what to do. Of course, the pie could be booby-trapped but she had no way of telling. Cautiously, she chose her next words carefully.

"Put it on the ground." she ordered, "I wanna test it first."

The Joker, strangely enough, complied and put the pie down on the tarmac. That surprised Ladybug. She had expected him to drop the pretence and throw it at her anyway. But he didn't. Now for the test. She motioned for Cat Noir to come forward.

"Poke it with your staff." she ordered.

The feline hero nodded and slammed the butt of his staff into the pie, penetrating the pastry and spilling cream over the sides. Nothing else happened. It was a completely normal pie. The Joker hadn't been faking after all. Sighing with relief, Ladybug came forward.

"Phew, and to think I was expecting it to explode or something..." she mused.

"That's because that pie wasn't a gag pie like you expected." The Joker said, his innocent smile now disappearing as it was replaced with his usual sinister one, "THIS one is!"

Then suddenly, he pulled another pie from nowhere and tossed it straight at Ladybug and Cat Noir. The two teens didn't even have time to dodge as the pie hit them and exploded, throwing them off their feet and straight into the wall behind them. The insect and cat themed heroes didn't even know what had hit them, feeling as if the very life had been punched out of their bodies. The damage done to their costumes and bodies would soon heal but The Joker intended to finish them off before that happened. Whipping out another pistol he aimed at both of their heads with a wicked grin on his face.

"Now to pop a bullet in your brains before your magical mumbo jumbo can fix anything!" he cackled.

And that was when he was hit in the hand by a surprise attack from above. But said surprise attack was one The Joker was all too familiar with as he clutched his hand and looked at the very thing that had hit him...a single Batarang. The very presence of the weapon told him one compulsory fact. At long last, Batman was here! The Joker then chuckled and wiped the blood from one cheek to another, the red of his blood and lipstick mixing together in a sickening way, smirking as he glanced over his shoulder.

"C'mon out, Bats. I've been wanting to have this dance with you" he said calmly, almost as if he was relaxing in a comfy chair.

He failed to notice the angry snarl that formed on the Dark Knight's face: seeing Ladybug and Chat Noir risking their lives in trying to bring down the frightening clown filled him with dread and worry, given they were two youngsters putting their lives on the line in handling someone that he felt was his responsibility.

The cowled hero leapt off the edge of the hotel's balcony and delivered a hard kick to the back of his arch nemesis, sending him flying across the road as cameras of the news reporters began flashing all over the place, capturing the moment the Dark Knight hero literally kicked in on the incident. Batman's proper face behind the mask matched its scowl: he was livid as he face the Joker while Ladybug's and Chat Noir's magic healing began to kick in.

"You bring your wicked ways to Paris...it's time I put you down for the next eight months!" Batman yelled angrily as he readied his fists.

The Joker merely snickered at his arch-enemy.

"Put me down? PUT ME DOWN?! Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha! Oh Bats, we know full well you don't kill!" he taunted, "You won't ever kill me because you're too obsessed with beating me to do so!"

"I don't kill so that I can show I'm not the same monster you are." Batman retorted, "Why Joker? Why did you come to France? Did you really come all this way just to spite me?"

"HELLO!? Isn't it obvious?!" The Joker cried out in a mocking tone, "You run away from Gotham for some reason so obviously I'm gonna come after you! And why? Because Gotham's boring without you Batsy old pal! Without the Batman, crime has no punchline! So in order to keep myself entertained, I had to chase after you! Besides, there's all sorts of new fun to have here in France! Wouldn't you agree?"

Batman just sighed angrily. He hated that aspect of his nemesis, the fact he saw everything in life as some stupid game. He even seemed to view their rivalry as some stupid game to play over and over again. Well tonight, he would finally crack The Joker's skull open and make him realize for once that this whole thing was NOT a game. It never was a game and he was determined to show that he wasn't playing any.

"I think you just needed a bad excuse to attack an innocent country..." the Gotham vigilante growled, "And I'm that excuse. Well I'm gonna take you back to Arkham so that France will be spared your terror."

"Blah blah blah, it's the same dramatic retort you always come up with! As much as I love hearing it, Bats, I've gotten excited for this moment and I-" the Joker was cut off as Batman tossed a Batarang out at him, though he swiftly dodged it by jumping over a nearby car, spotting a fallen baton. This made the Joker grin wider as he could hear Batman leap off the ground from behind.

"Batiyata time!" he declared rather happily as he swung the baton around and whacked Batman in the gut with it.

Though his suit was laced with armour that absorbed the impact, it was still strong enough to send Batman tumbling onto the bonnet of the car. He recovered quickly as the Joker came flying towards him, so he rolled off the car as the baton slammed onto the bonnet, denting it. Batman managed to land a punch on the clown's arm and gave him an uppercut, sending him flying off the car and over onto the pavement opposite. The Joker kept hold of the baton and just cackled menacingly as he gestured at the Dark Knight to come closer.

"Come on, come on now, don't be shy, I won't bite too hard!" he said so innocently as Batman began to storm towards him like an enraged bull.

The bat made his move as he tried to tackle the Joker, who swung the baton towards the Dark Knight's face, only for a well timed arm to block the incoming blow and land a hard jab into the Joker's chest, knocking him back roughly, but a sickening cough of laughter escaped his lungs as he drew out another blade, slamming it into the arm of his nemesis. Batman let out a grunt of pain, but before he knew it, the Joker swiftly pulled it out and tried to slash his chest, only to be kicked in the gut by the Caped Crusader, who then gave him a double uppercut that sent him flying into a lamppost behind him, denting it.

Resisting the urge to groan, the Joker glanced at his knife and took notice of the small amount of blood he gotten on it. That made him smirk in delight as he realised he now had a chance to bring down the protector of Gotham for good. He glanced up to see Batman storming closer, his masked face looking as hard as a brick wall as he readied his gloved fists, almost eager to give the clown the nasty hiding he deserved. However, the bat then cried out in surprise as he came flying off his feet after the Joker gave a nasty swipe at them with the baton. His head ringing as it connected to the concrete ground, Batman's vision became a blur as he felt the weight of his opponent get on top of him. The laughter of the clown filled him with dread as he caught a gleaming shine of the knife rising over his face.

"Say bonjour to the devil for me, Batsy boy. And my regards to dear Jason Todd too!" the Joker said sweetly as the knife came flying downwards...but it never came into contact with the body of Batman. Instead, the certain yo-yo of Ladybug's wrapped around the Joker's wrist and his grin dropped like a stone.

"Oh c'mon!" he cried out in annoyance, only to be swiftly pulled off Batman, coming flying towards Ladybug herself. But he didn't get close enough to the insect based heroine, as a grey baton smashed into his face, sending him flying into the corner wall of a shop.

Dazed and surprised, the Joker could feel the skin on his right cheek had been torn open and felt two bits of teeth come splattering out of his mouth in a red puddle. Looking up, he saw Chat Noir giving him a nasty look, the end of his baton dripping with blood as his eyes glowed hauntingly in the darkness of the night.

"Oh my, is the kitty cat angry?" the killer jokester taunted, "That's unusual. I'm usually TRYING to make pal angry when they get angry at me!"

"Oh you don't have to try Joker. You're so annoying that you can tick me off without having to!" Cat Noir growled.

"Give it up Joker, you can't possibly beat all three of us at once!" Ladybug declared.

The damage done to them by The Joker's pie earlier had been repaired so now they looked as good as new again. Batman stared in brief surprise, fascinated at how they had just recovered from a Joker attack like that. It sure would help the Justice League if they could do that! He picked himself up, ignoring the pain, and he clenched his fists. The Clown Prince of Crime glanced from Ladybug to Cat Noir and to Batman, knowing full well he truly was out of his depth. But he was far too crazy and insane to just give up like that so he began to laugh. Then he pulled out some balloons from his coat pocket, once again, completely out of nowhere as if by magic. Everybody flinched. Knowing the Joker, these balloons could do anything.

"Haven't you heard the old phrase, "Quality, not quantity"?!" the Joker cackled, "Ha, ha, ha, ha! Sometimes it's just one man you need to take down an army!"

He then proceeded to blow the balloons up and toss them at the three heroes. Gasping in horror, Ladybug and Cat Noir dived for cover as one balloon missed them and hit the ground, exploding into a cloud of gas. Batman's eyes widened as he saw the gas spread out from the balloons as they popped. He knew exactly what it was.

"JOKER GAS!" he exclaimed, "Ladybug, Cat, don't breathe it on whatever you do!"

The two teen-heroes knew better than to argue with Batman so they did as they were told. Batman knew his nemesis well and wouldn't tell them to hold their breaths for nothing. They covered their mouths and noses so they couldn't inhale the gas and they ran away so they could wait for it to disappear. Batman himself pulled out a gas mask that he always carried with him for occasions like this and slipped it on. He was safe from the deadly gas now. But as he searched for The Joker, the crazed lunatic came at him with another balloon. This one wasn't full of Joker Gas this time, but was actually full of rocks so when he slammed it into the vigilante's head, he knocked him clean off his feet, popping the balloon at the same time. Batman lay on the ground, dazed and confused but he didn't take long to recover. The Joker gas hung in the air around the person who had created it, adding more to the already grim atmosphere of the Paris night.

"As always, you put others above yourself Bats! Pity it cost you your back up!" The Joker taunted.

"I've never needed back up to take you down before." Batman growled, "I can take you down alone again..."

He then swung his fist up, crashing it into The Joker's chin and throwing him backwards. The punch was so sudden and hard that the killer clown barely even registered what had happened, only that he now suddenly had a sharp pain in his neck.

"Whooaaaa!" he let out madly as he went flying into the metal fence of the park, making the clown wince in pain as he felt the bruises ache angrily. He glanced up to see the vigilante coming towards him once more, so the clown spring to his feet and brought up the baton as Batman slammed his band downwards.

Meanwhile, Ladybug and Chat Noir retreated to the corner edge of a rooftop, from where they could see the deadly Joker gas increasing in size and hovering towards the many frightened Parisians gathered outside the hotel. Ladybug's blue eyes widened in terror at this.

"Chat if we don't stop that gas then those civilians have had it!" she cried as she tried to think over what to do.

"How can we beat gas though?" Chat pondered and tapped his chin thoughtfully. That was then, though, when Ladybug snapped her fingers as if a lightbulb appeared over her head, then grabbed her yo-yo.

"LUCKY CHARM!" she exclaimed, tossing her yo-yo into the air above her.

At once, a magical effect occurred as the special power kicked in. The yo-yo remained where it was, spinning for a moment until finally, the Lucky Charm item came into existence. For once though, it seemed to be an item where Ladybug knew what to do with it straight away. The items he now held in her hands was a red fan with black spots all over. It looked like the kind of fan you'd keep on your desktop only this one didn't require a plug. The spotty heroine smiled gleefully.

"Alright, this is just what I need!" she said excitedly.

"Yeah, you can really "blow" The Joker away with that!" Cat Noir snickered.

Ladybug sighed but said nothing as she swung down to the ground and held her breath. She aimed the fan and switched it on. She was aiming it at an upwards angle so the Joker Gas would be blown straight up into the sky where it would be completely harmless until it disappeared into the atmosphere. The fan's blades turned around, becoming a red and black blur as they began to blow away the gas. Because it was a magical item, it was much stronger than an ordinary fan and the gas was slowly beginning to rise up and away from the fan as if afraid of it. The hotel guests began to cheer as they watched the deadly gas blow away into the sky above.

The Joker and Batman linked hands together and pushed on one another as if in a sumo match. But then Batman smirked at The Joker, making the clown stare at him incredulously.

"What the hell are you smiling it?!" he cried.

"Look over your shoulder Joker." Batman sneered, "Ladybug's blowing away your big plan."

The Joker glanced over his shoulder and his demonic yellow eyes widened in shock and fury as he saw Ladybug putting an end to his attempted gas attack on the hotel. He trembled in anger and glared at Batman.

"No! I'm meant to be the last one standing! I'm meant to survive the last curtain call! Not you or that bug!" he yelled angrily, furious that his insane plan had come to a frustrating end. But his crazy brain just kept picking away at him from the inside, telling him to keep up the fight, not to lose to Batman or another pair of teenagers!

The Joker made a twisted grin as he then lunged at Batman, trying to swipe him at the head with the baton, only for the Dark Knight to catch him by the arm and swung him high above his head, before sending him crashing onto the concrete ground below. The Joker howled in pain as his arm was then twisted by his nemesis, who planted his boot onto his back very roughly, pinning him there hard. Shortly enough, they were both joined by Ladybug and Chat Noir, both of whom gave Batman a relieved look.

"I take it he's down for now?" the bluenette questioned with an exhale, to which Batman nodded at with a small smile of his own.

"Couldn't have beaten him without you or Chat. Thank you, Ladybug" he said proudly as his hand went for his utility belt to get out a pair of handcuffs.

"It was our pleasure" she replied as she then glared down at the beaten clown.

Part of her really wanted to kick his head in for nearly killing her parents, but she had to resist the urge to do so, so to show she was the better person. But that was when she noticed Chat Noir looking to the sky with an uncertain look on his face.

"Uh, Chat? Everything alright?" she asked softly, so as not to bring his nerves up.

The feline based hero responded by pointing up at the sky, taking notice of a small, butterfly demon coming towards them "Something tells me we're about to get another akuma victim." he said in a bleak tone. Ladybug and Batman looked up to see the akuma coming towards them, making the latter frown.

"Am I right to assume that is what it is?" he questioned sharply.

"You said that right, it's an akuma...could it be coming for the Joker? To akumatise him?" she asked nervously, really unsure at this moment as the mad clown didn't seem the type to attract such a demonic creature.

"We did beat him, so he's bound to be pissed. Let's get him away f-"

Batman lost his words as the akuma then vanished into thin air, making them all frown in response.

"Wait, what? Where the heck did it go!?" Chat exclaimed in surprise.

"They've never done that before..." Ladybug trailed off as she felt a warm glow climbing up her back. Looking around with her two black clad comrades, she gasped as she saw the akuma was now on the winded Joker, who spat out another bit of his blood as he glared up at them.

"What's the frowny faces for?" he asked numbly.

Before an answer could be given, the purple glow of the akuma consumed the Joker like it was eating him alive, making him cry out in utter shock as he became a glowing figure of light, then in a split second, he vanished into thin air, almost as if he was never there in the first place. Batman, Ladybug and Cat could only stare in disbelief. The akuma...had caused the Joker to disappear! Where to? To Hawk Moth no doubt! That sent a lot of chills through their spines. The Joker was bad news enough already but what if he and Hawk Moth ended up forming an alliance?! Paris would be doomed forever if that happened! Ladybug could feel herself beginning to panic, something that didn't happen very often.

"Oh my gosh...he's gone!" she shrieked, "Oh no...Hawk Moth's probably brought him right to him! What if he akumatizes The Joker? What if he teams up with him?!"

"It could be the end of Paris as we know it...and I DON'T feel fine." Cat Noir said grimly, no humour in his voice whatsoever.

"You said earlier you don't know where Hawk Moth is..." Batman said, angry over the Joker's disappearance, "We'll never find him now...until it's too late."

"So what do we do?!" Ladybug shrieked, clutching Cat Noir and almost throttling him as if he could somehow save everything.

"I don't knoooooow so stop shaaaaaaaking meeeeeeeeeee!" Cat Noir exclaimed helplessly.

"Calm down, both of you! Panicking won't solve anything." Batman said, firmly but not angrily so as not to frighten the two teens.

They both tried to calm down, and it seemed to work, but only for a bit.

"But...what about the Riddler? He's still out there and this could all be part of his plan!" Ladybug pointed out, an almost angry presence entering her voice, trying to push out the thoughts of all three madmen in succeeding in their goals of chaos.

However, she then felt a pair of hands firmly grip her shoulders, rubbing them a bit.

"M'Lady, you need to calm down. If you keep overreacting and panicking, we're going to get nowhere." he softly pointed out, trying to ease her fears.

As much as she wanted to panic and voice out frustrations and worries, Ladybug exhaled and felt a massive weight ease in her. She and Chat had to be the heroes Paris needed right now, and right now the heroes shouldn't be panicking. She let out another big sigh before turning to Batman.

"I'm sorry for behaving like that...it's been such a long time since we faced a scale as anything as big as this." she explained, deep sadness and regret in her voice.

A tiny change came over Batman's features as he looked down at the French super heroine and her partner. He felt pangs of guilt eating away at his soul, a haunting voice all too similar to the Joker's and Riddler's that was telling him this was all his fault for bringing such terror to Paris. These two were teenagers and they shouldn't have to bare such a burden that he should be baring.

"There's nothing for you to be sorry for, Ladybug. If I was quicker in stopping the Riddler from leaving America, neither of you would've had to be putting up with this." he said with guilt and regret hanging in his voice.

Ladybug and Cat Noir exchanged sympathetic glances to their caped friend. They could tell from the guilt in his voice that this whole thing was like a heavy weight on his shoulders and he felt entirely responsible for it. And they couldn't blame him really. The Joker and the Riddler were his foes and they had come to France, the former coming because Batman himself was here. But at the same time, they knew that Batman shouldn't blame himself for the whole thing. After all, it wasn't as if he had told The Riddler to come here in the first place. The two approached him, smiling kindly.

"We understand your guilt Batman and why you're taking this so hard." Ladybug said softly, "But it's not your fault this is happening at all. If The Riddler never came to France, The Joker wouldn't have too."

"Besides, it's not like you let him get away on purpose." Cat Noir added, "We heroes sometimes don't always get it right first time. But we're all still breathing aren't we? That means we've got a chance on putting an end to this nightmare!"

"We're not gonna give up on our city Batman. We will remain strong, for our people...and for you too." Ladybug said kindly, "Will you do the same for us?"

Batman took all of this in, stunned at the fact that despite The Joker's worst attacks, the two teens were still very optimistic and hopeful. It was that kind of youthful energy that made them such great heroes and he had to admit, they really did remind him of the Teen Titans. They had a youthful energy that seemed to drive them on against all odds. And that was why they were such an admirable team in the world of heroism. Such optimism was not only admirable, but made for some great role models too. Batman didn't quite smile, but even behind the cowl the French heroes could see that his expression was softening. He looked at them through his blank white eyes.

"Of course." he said, a sense of determination in his voice, "I never stop when Gotham's in danger. I won't stop until Paris is safe too."

That made the insect and cat-themed crime-fighters beam delightedly. Batman gave them a brief smile, but a questioning look crossed his features again.

"Though I do wonder...can Hawk Moth's akumas heal their victims? We did do a lot of damage to Joker." he pointed out, really hoping they weren't going to be dealing with a powered up clown.

Ladybug looked thoughtful before giving her answer.

"Hm...from what I researched in the Miraculous book, I don't think they can. Akumas are strong, but nowhere near as strong as the Miraculouses themselves." she responded in a sharp tone.

"If so, that means Hawk Moth won't be able to heal the Joker straight away. They'll need time before he's fully recovered." Chat Noir reasoned with a hint of hope coming into his voice.

"Then that means we'll still have time to find them both, and the Riddler." Batman responded, his tone getting lighter as he realized this wasn't so bad: they'd still have enough time to beat all three of their enemies. And only one of them wasn't too far from his clutches. Speaking of which, Batman suddenly remembered he had a certain Frenchman locked up in his wardrobe!

He glanced around to notice the crowds of civilians and reporters beginning to growing larger as they came towards them. Wanting to make this quick, the vigilante looked down at the two teenagers.

"I'll have to go. I've got a lead on the Riddler and hopefully I can have him in handcuffs tonight and fly him back to Gotham before morning. That's if my source is reliable enough." he noted after he explained everything to them.

"Go ahead, we'll keep the crowd's attention." Ladybug offered.

But then suddenly, her earring began bleeping, telling her that she didn't have time to do that. Given she had used her lucky charm, her Miraculous was running out of power. She needed to disappear before her identity was exposed.

"On second thoughts, I'm outta here too!" she cried, dashing away like an Olympic sprinter.

Cat Noir watched her leave, knowing that he would have to disappear himself. He watched as the crowd lead by Mayor Bourgeois filed out of the hotel and came towards him and Batman. The guests had come for Batman and the Mayor had organized the party for him so they were keen to interview him. The Mayor in particular was the most keen, fighting to stay at the front.

"Batman, Batman! If you'd like to wait a moment, we'd all like to meet you!" the mayor cried.

But Batman was already on his way, firing a grappling hook into the air and swinging away, leaving the crowd behind to watch as he vanished into the night. Cat Noir watched him go and then sneaked away himself. He and Ladybug could meet up with Batman later and once The Riddler was arrested, they would team up to find Hawk Moth and The Joker...and hopefully, they wouldn't be too late to prevent an alliance between them...

* * *

But little did they all know a new member of the audience had been watching the entire battle against the nutcase of a clown. A camera from a nearby street corner zoomed in to where Batman was last seen leaving from. The one controlling it was none other than the ever self loving Riddler, who smirked as he rubbed his fingers together, intrigued at what he just witnessed.

"Hmm, so the Joker has decided to pay Paris a little visit too? My my, I'll be bringing the rest of the family over if that's the case!" he chuckled loudly, before quickly covering his mouth and frowned, "Then again, I shouldn't get too ecstatic. While I'm glad that nutcase is here, I don't want to end up acting like him..."

The Riddler also rubbed his temples with his gloved fingers, looking almost annoyed at what he'd witnessed.

"Should've expected the Dork Knight to show up though. Even I can't slip away without him following me!" he sighed angrily, "He's gonna ruin everything and he has my taxi driver imprisoned so he's gonna make him talk and therefore, find me!"

With anger coursing through his veins, The Riddler decided that he had to do something drastic before everything crumbled to bits before him. He didn't want to rush himself but there was no time. He had to act now.

"Shame I have to go ahead sooner than planned but I can settle for a minor inconvenience like this." the cluemaster purred, "I'll have to play my games now rather than later. Time to get those schoolkids rounded up..."

He chuckled to himself as he dug out a mobile phone and dialed a number. He pressed it against his ear. The phone as an Apple iPhone 6, modern and very flat in appearance but very potent and full of useful features. The Riddler's call was answered and he spoke a single command into the phone.

"My Riddler bots have bugged several schoolchildren's phones. You know where they are. Get the targets. It's time for a riddle..."

Whoever was on the other end grunted in response before hanging up. The Riddler leaned back on his chair, tapping his fingers away patiently as he studied all of his views screens.

* * *

Meanwhile, in a certain dark room just being lightened up by the calm glow of the moon, the Joker groaned as he came to, his demonic eyes looking like they had been rolling around his sockets with no precise coordination. He blinked and rubbed his chin, cringing slightly as he felt the crumbled and cracked bits of bone there. He looked around and frowned at the darkness.

"So where am I exactly? Le Grand Bat Hotel or something?" he muttered in half annoyance, not all too pleased he gotten his ass handed to him.

"Far from anything comforting, but your not the one for luxury, am I right...Joker?" a certain soothing voice echoed from the dark corner of the room.

The voice came as something of a surprise to The Joker. He didn't know who it was but yet, there was something he liked about it. Maybe it was because of how sinister it sounded. He looked around, curious as to where it had come from.

"Either I'm hearing voices in my head or I'm not alone!" he exclaimed, "Is anybody here besides me and my glorious insanity?" he called out loud, startling the clouds of butterflies that had settled on the floor.

In answer to his question, the owner of the voice came out of the shadows and stepped into the light, revealing himself to be a man in a purple suit with oversized lapels, a silver mask and carrying an indigo walking stick in his hand. The Joker stared in curious fascination. Some new Batman foe was this? Or was he France's local supervillain? There was something about him that made The Joker wonder. Had he saved him earlier? Had he brought him here? The man smiled thinly at his guest.

"Greetings Joker. I am Hawk Moth, and I'd like it if the two of us could have a little...chat."

* * *

 _ **Oh shit...OH SHIT! The Joker's now in the lair of Hawk Moth! I smell a team-up forming! 0_0**_

 _ **Also what's The Riddler's plan and what will happen now he's putting it into action? Will our heroes even find the villains before it's too late...?**_


	8. Chapter 7: Villains Rising

**Chapter 7: Villains Rising**

Over at the Agreste Mansion, Alya and Nino were still gathered around the computer and watching as the news unfolded, delivering the events of tonight live all over Paris. They had watched as the news crew had filmed the intense battle between Ladybug, Cat Noir and the Joker and even watched with amazement as Batman had shown up to help. They had grown concerned when The Joker had unleashed his Joker Venom but had cheered when Ladybug blew it away. The whole scene unfolding on the news had been exciting and thrilling for them and they had enjoyed watching it.

"Whoo, hoo! Ladybug and Cat Noir were awesome against the Joker!" Alya exclaimed.

"And it was doubly awesome when Batman showed up to help!" Nino added, "Like major awesomeness!"

"The Ladyblog's gonna go through the roof in terms of views when I blog about this!" Alya shrieked, excitement coursing through her bloodstream, "I'll even title the story "Paris meets Gotham in epic battle"!"

But the excitement had turned into despair when they had seen the one thing they hadn't expected to see. The news crew had managed to capture footage of an akuma settling on top of The Joker and whisking him away in a bright purple light. That had caused the two teens to stare incredulously at the screen, unable to believe what had happened.

"No way...The Joker just vanished!" Nino cried, "Dude, that's not cool! That clown could come back and terrorize us again!"

"I know...our heroes almost got him and that butterfly thing caused him to disappear!" Alya muttered, "And yet, I can't help but feel I've seen one before..."

Alya couldn't possibly remember the time she had been akumatized as the phone-savvy villainess, Lady WiFi, but the sight of the akuma did ring a faint bell or two, like a memory locked away in the darkest corners of her mind and trying desperately to get out. Nino put a hand on his girlfriend's arm.

"I dunno why you get that feeling but one thing's for certain, Paris won't be able to sleep tonight." the pop-culture lover murmured, "Not while Joker's still loose."

"I'm sure Batman, Ladybug and Cat Noir will find him." the brunette girl replied, trying to sound optimistic, "In the meantime, I hope Marinette and Adrien are somewhere safe. They went out to find the heroes but they're not back yet..." she added, noticing that she and Nino were still alone together.

"I'm sure they're fine, those two always seem to find a way to stay out of major trouble, though how they do it is a mystery to me!" Nino chuckled.

Alya just grinned at him. That was something she liked about the young teen in the black spectacles, his ability to still make jokes in a time like this. Such optimism was something to admire about the boy. It was one of the reasons why she'd fallen for him. But any conversation that was likely to commence after Nino's last sentence was interrupted by a strange sound. The two teens jumped in their seats as they heard the door slamming open and they turned around to see four men in green uniforms and wearing helmets with question marks on their foreheads running towards them. That was strange, Adrien's mansion had a ridiculous amount of security! Nobody was supposed to be able to break in like this! How had they even managed to get past the Gorilla?

Alya and Nino got up from their seats, knowing full well that they were in trouble. Whoever these men were, they meant bad business and they had to get out of here. But the men took up strategic positions that fenced the two in like sheep in a pen. They both backed away, afraid on what was going to happen next. They couldn't get away, they were completely trapped.

"Wh-who are you?" Alya stammered, "What do you want with us?"

The men didn't answer. One of them just stepped forward and seized Alya by the arm. Nino lashed out, trying to protect her but another man grabbed his arms and forced them behind his back. The boy struggled but the men were much too strong for him. He watched as Alya's hands were tied behind her back by the man who'd grabbed her and another man plastered a strip of tape over her mouth to prevent her from screaming for help. The same thing was done to him. The four men dragged the two frightened teens out of the bedroom and downstairs. to leave the mansion. Alya and Nino struggled, desperate to get free but their efforts were in vain. They couldn't escape, they were tied up and gagged and utterly helpless. Whoever had ordered the men to do this was going to get them. And the two teens could only dread on who it was that wanted them...and why.

* * *

In another part of Paris, the meeting of a life time was taking place, and it was between Batman and Ladybug's number one foes. Now that Hawk Moth had emerged from the shadows, The Joker could get his first proper look at the man who had somehow managed to teleport him away from the Le Grand Paris and to this strange, dark, isolated room full of butterflies. He took in the purple suit, the oversized black lapels and the silver mask, as well as the cold blue eyes and the indigo cane the man carried. He didn't look like any normal person The Joker knew. He was clearly one of "those" people, the costumed freaks just like he and many others. That was already a good sign, maybe he was in good company. And given the man wanted to talk to him in particular, that meant he was in villainous company. That intrigued the clown. Looks as if France has its own demons too, and maybe this poor sap could be used to his advantage. The Joker stretched his arms but suppressed a pained grunt and covered it with a chuckle as he stood up, rubbing his hands together as he gave the silver headed man a delightful, and bleeding, grin.

"Well I must say, this is quite the place you have. Though I think my gaff is a lot better. Can give you the heebie jeebies!" he cackled as he went to shake Hawkmoth's hand, only to get nothing in response.

"I've watched you long enough to see that it's best I don't shake your hand, Joker, though I'm very impressed by the tricks you pulled off tonight. Surprised that a scrawny little thing like you can hold off three superheroes at once" the purple suited man responded with his own voice cool and calm, yet not intimidating the Joker in the slightest.

That was when the clown began to unbutton his shirt. He seemed almost offended by what Hawk Moth had said.

"Heh, I'm not skinny in the slightest, old chap! If you want a show of the ab-" he began.

"No no, none of that, thank you very much. Ignore what I said earlier. But like I said, I'd like to talk to you. And I'd rather there was a safe distance between you and myself." Hawk Moth quickly said, a tiny hint of nervousness in his voice.

The Joker buttoned his shirt back up and took a few steps back, smirking devilishly at the butterfly themed villain.

"So it's that kind of chat is it? The one where you don't wanna touch the other guy unless you have a ten foot pole! Ha, ha, ha, ha! I get that a lot." he said, his voice full of humour rather than offence, "It's like the world fears I'm a ticking time bomb waiting to go off! Speaking of which, I have my exploding alarm clock if you'd like to see the time!" he cackled, pulling out a huge alarm clock that looked more like a prop in a stage production than an actual clock from his coat, "Wanna see what happens when we hit midnight? The results are quite explosive!"

Hawk Moth forced himself not to lose his temper. He'd only been standing here for a couple of minutes and already the Clown Prince of Crime was pushing his buttons. He had to remain patient or his butterflies would end up dancing around his grave. Closing his eyes briefly, he exhaled and held up a hand.

"I prefer to watch the sun and the moon to tell the time thank you." the purple suited villain said calmly, "And I'd rather not have any explosions going on thank you. I don't have the time to redecorate."

"Fair enough, better save this for later!" The Joker said gleefully, putting the clock away, "So Hawk-y, what's your deal and who are you when you're not in the supervillain gear? Are you the big enemy of Ladybug and Cat Noir like I'm the big enemy of Batman?"

"That is correct." Hawk Moth replied, tapping his cane against the floor, "I am the thorn in their side that keeps them on their toes and throws Paris in danger whenever I can. And all thanks to my very own Miraculous..."

He lightly ran his finger and thumb over the broach that he wore on his chest. That was his Miraculous, the item that gave him his insidious power. The Joker looked at it, curiously.

"So...what's a Miraculous then? Some fancy word for jewelry?" he sniffed.

Hawk Moth's response was a grin that was so chilling and demonic that The Joker briefly wondered if he would have any competition at all. He had a feeling the answer was going to be more fun than he thought.

"You have no idea..." the masked man purred.

"Well I'm a clown-y criminal who frolics around throwing punches with a bumbling idiot dressed like a bat so I dare you to surprise me!" The Joker challenged, his words not a threat but more like a friendly dare to see if Hawk Moth could surprise him with the answer.

Hawk Moth hummed to himself briefly, wondering what kind of reaction the crazy clown would give him after he explained everything about the Miraculouses.

"Very well. These Miraculouses might look like ancient or regular everyday gems, but they actually house incredible power, and a Kwami, little bug like creatures that guide the wearer. If I were to remove this broach, you'd see who I really am- "

"Mind if I take a peek?" The Joker asked excitedly, reaching his hand out in a funny fit, only for Hawk Moth to point his cane at him with a disturbed look in his eyes.

"Uh, no thank you. Can I continue?" he asked, trying to hold back his nervousness. While the clown could make him angry, he certainly knew how to make him feel like crapping his pants.

"Well I'm all ears, birdman" the Joker responded, cooly leaning back against the wall behind him. With that, Hawk Moth continued explaining.

"As I was saying, you'd see who I really am. If I let out a battle cry, I can transform or de-transform whenever I want. In this form, I have the power to corrupt these butterflies around us and send them out to corrupt any good hearted soul that might've been hurt or upset that becomes a big deal" Hawk Moth continued.

"Ah, so that whole thing with the monkey man the other night, am I correct?" the Joker questioned curiously, earning a nod from the purple clad villain.

"Exactly. Ladybug and Chat Noir have their own Miraculouses, and as you saw tonight, their Miraculouses can help them recover from any injury thanks to the magic powers they've been granted." he further explained. The mention of magic certainly upped the Joker's grin size.

"Magic, eh? What kinda magic, Hawk-old boy?" he asked, his voice full of utter curiosity.

This pleased Hawk Moth greatly: the clown was now getting VERY interested, and that's all that he wanted to know, but he had to keep him in the game.

"Ladybug's power is that of good luck. She can de-evilise the Akumas and their victims, and can create lucky charms that provide assistance to her and Chat Noir beating the victims. Chat Noir's power is the power of destruction. If you saw on the news, he's capable of destroying anything he touches by using the power of Cataclysm, reducing whatever he touches to rust or dust" the silver masked man explained. The Joker clapped his hands in delight.

"Now THAT is my cup of tea! Destruction, reducing things to ashes. I do wonder if it's been tried on a human? Or better yet a Kryptonian!" The Joker exclaimed joyfully.

"I'm afraid I have no idea. But imagine if you'd be able to combine those two powers" Hawk Moth replied with a deadly glint in his eyes.

"I imagine something, excuse the pun, "Miraculous" happens right?" the clown said gleefully.

"Yes indeed." the Miraculous villain purred, "When the two gems are combined, you will achieve godhood."

That made The Joker leap up in delight. His face looked more full of crazed glee than it usually did.

"HOT DOG!" he cried out in a fit of excitement, "Godhood eh?! Imagine all the chaos and misery I could cause with god powers! Ah, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha! Not even Bats would stop me!"

That made Hawk Moth's smile fade a little. He wasn't going to share this power with The Joker and knew that he'd have to betray him when the time was right. Last thing he needed as the Clown Prince of Crime stealing his thunder.

"Yes, quite." he said, choosing his words carefully, "Speaking of Batman, I wish to know about him. I trust you can give me the info I need?"

"Well aside from the fact he's a lunatic dressed like a bat and armed to the teeth and has anger issues, not much." The Joker said, "Though I can tell you that he loves his gadgets and cars and he can punch like a a right son of a bitch! You should feel them, it's like getting whacked by a sledgehammer! Not to me, I don't register pain all that much anymore!"

"So I see." Hawk Moth said unsurely, "So tell me Joker, what is the secret behind his power? He must be a Miraculous wielder too am I right?"

The Joker raised an eyebrow at Hawk Moth.

"Sorry to disappoint you butterfly man but Bats is no "Miraculous Wielder"." he said grimly, his smile fading, "He's just a lunatic in a costume, just like me! Ah, ha, ha, ha, ha! He has no super powers or anything, just a hell of a lot of muscle and some really stupid toys!"

Hawk Moth's jaw dropped in disbelief. Batman...doesn't have a Miraculous? That disappointed him greatly and he didn't hide it.

"You mean...Batman's not a Miraculous? He's just armed and dangerous, nothing more?"

"Sorry to burst your bubble Hawk-y but they do say the truth hurts! It hurts more when I hit them with a baseball bat saying "Truth" on it! Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!"

Hawk Moth growled and resisted the urge of snapping his cane in two. The Joker was giving him mixed messages, and he just found out the Dark Knight of Gotham City wasn't a Miraculous holder! He glared up into the moonlight, one part of his plan now already in shambles! But then another thought came to him as he turned around to face the Joker, who was staring at the multiple butterflies in the room.

"Tell me, Joker: do you happen to know WHY Batman is here? Is he here for you?" he asked in a sharp tone.

The Joker put on such a priceless innocent look that anybody looking at him would've found it hard not to laugh.

"Oh but Hawky, he's the reason I'm here! I saw him on the news while I was in Gotham! Opposites do attract but he certainly didn't come after me! I came after him! Hahaha!" he let out a mad cackle of insane joy, making Hawk Moth wonder just how nutty the green haired man was.

"But then if that's true that you arrived the day after...then why did he come here a day earlier?" he asked with confusion ridden in his soothing voice.

"I dunno, maybe he wasn't satisfied with the meal he had here and came back to complain about it!" The Joker snickered, making Hawk Moth frown in annoyance.

The butterfly themed villain wasn't sure if The Joker was tormenting him or just amusing himself. Either way, he decided not to try and push his buttons so he kept his temper in check, though every muscle in his body was screaming at him to clobber the crazy man already.

"In all seriousness though Moth-brains, I believe I DO know why Batman came in the first place." the clown murmured, his tone of voice suddenly softer and less insane. It was as if he'd transformed from crazy to sane in a split second.

"Do tell." Hawk Moth purred, raising an eyebrow in interest.

"I have many friends in Gotham City! I say many in the sense that they're people I call friends despite the fact they hate me." The Joker explained, "One of them is a puzzle-master known only as The Riddler. He's as nutty as a fruitcake and frankly, rather stupid for somebody who claims to be intelligent. What idiot leaves green question marks everywhere and gives Batman clues on how to defeat him?! But that's not important. What IS important is that The Riddler skedaddled off to France a day ago. I know this because I like to keep tabs on my criminal buddies to see how they're doing! I even watched him leave, secretly of course so he wouldn't see me, for the airport. I didn't care what he was doing as long as I still got my fun with Batman. Looks like Bats caught a whiff of him since he's now here in France too. I dunno if The Riddler brought him here or not but given I'm not the one who did it, riddle-boy must be the reason he's here."

Hawk Moth took all of this in with great interest. So France was actually being invaded by TWO of Batman's rogues? That certainly added more to the whole thing than he thought. So Batman came here just to catch The Riddler, which in turn led to The Joker coming here and the conversation that was now taking place. Fate had a funny way of making events happen, it really did. But for the Miraculous villain, he saw this as a good thing. How great would it be to team up with TWO of Batman's enemies to get what he wanted! He let out a cackle of delight, something The Joker was happy to see.

"Excellent, utterly excellent!" Hawk Moth crowed, "What good fortune this is. I get to meet one of Batman's worst enemies and now I find out there's ANOTHER one in France! Oh those Miraculouses are as good as mine..."

"Heh, good luck with trying to get through to stubble-boy. Either he's reciting a load of Doctor Who quotes, or he's gonna give you a lot of mad bullshit! Basically, he'll only listen to someone as mad as himself!" the Joker then added as he proceeded to gaze out of the circular window in front of him and Hawk Moth "And your in luck, Hawkman, because I might just know where to find him" he chuckled as he rested his pointy chin on his folded arms. Hawk oth frowned at him.

"How would you even know where he is? Like you said, he arrived here only a day ago, and you arrive a day later. How could you possibly know?" he inquired with a questioning look in his silver blue eyes.

"Haha! This is why you should always recruit the nutty ones! They always make themselves useful like me!" The Joker madly exclaimed as he twirled in his tip toes, making Hawk Moth resisting the urge to face palm.

"Can you get to the point, please?" he asked.

"The point is, I know where he is and where we can find him!" the laughing mass murdered retorted, "He has a safe house somewhere near the Rive Seine! If we wanna recruit him, we'll look for him there!"

"I see." Hawk Moth said, "And what will happen if we recruit him into my scheme to get the Miraculouses?"

The Joker grinned at his new friend, a twinkle of delight in his eyes.

"You may well get what you want." he purred, "The Riddler stages death traps and puzzles to test people on their intelligence you see. So I thought, what if we recruit him and get him to put Batman, Ladybug AND Cat Noir through his little games? Batman will likely survive but Ladybug and Cat Noir don't know The Riddler so they could well end up dead! And when they end up dead, we can take their Miraculouses from their dead bodies! So one could say that if all goes well, The Riddler will do our jobs for us! AH, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA!"

Hawk Moth grinned maliciously with pleasure. He liked where this was going. This was a brilliant plan and he knew it.

"Joker...you may well have come up with the plan to end all plans..." the masked menace complimented, "This plan will get me those Miraculouses at last! And there might be a bonus too. If Batman gets distraught over the heroes's deaths, he could be vulnerable to my wicked little akumas! Oh yes...I could akumatize him and make him my ultimate servant while we use the Ladybug and Cat Miraculouses to become a god! With ultimate power plus the best lapdog we could ever ask for, we will be unstoppable! Not even the Justice League will be a match for us!"

Of course, Hawk Moth intended all of this for himself but to keep The Joker in the dark, he decided to include him in all of this so he wouldn't suspect anything. Plus The Joker was helping him right now so he may as well come off as grateful. The Joker didn't seem to suspect anything as he laughed with him.

"I know Hawk-Eyes! Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha! With Batman as our minion and god like powers, we can bring the world to its knees and everybody will fear The Joker and Hawk Moth when we unleash our power over all the helpless people of the world!"

Hawk Moth clenched his fist in utter delight, just picturing the images of two French superheroes dead and an Akuma Akumatising Batman. What a pleasant thought and it was bound to come true!

"What's more, we can find out who Batman is once I establish a mental link with him! If he even TRIES to fight back, we threaten to reveal to the world of who he is!" he exclaimed with a sickening grin, only for the Joker to chuckle as he waved a finger about.

"I'd rather that we don't do that at all, birdman." he said in a softer tone, actually trying to sound reasonable for once.

"Why not? It would be good leverage if we were to use it against him." the purple suited villain responded with a confused look in his eyes.

"Ya see, I don't mind using it as leverage, but if we were to reveal to the whole world who he is, it would just take the fun away. I mean...I THINK I know who he is, but that doesn't bother me much. But the whole world knowing who he is will just kill the Batman of the man in the mask. He won't be known as Batman anymore, you see?" The Joker tried to explain, actually sounding logical for once in this conversation.

That made Hawk Moth tap his chin in thought "Hmm, fair point. We can just scare him into thinking we'll reveal his name. But I don't care if Ladybug's and Chat Noir's identities are revealed to the world or not. As long as they'll be out of the way and their Miraculouses are in our grasps, I'm happy." the mysterious villain explained, using his own logic to respond with the nutcase of a man, who grinned.

"Quite glad to reach an agreement, old boy. So, shall we pay Eddy a visit?" he suggested with a wink.

Hawk Moth nodded slowly.

"Be my guest my snickering friend..." he crooned.

* * *

The man that Hawk Moth had been informed about by his new friend wasn't up to much at the moment. He was sitting alone in his room of computer monitors and television screens as he prepared for his big night ahead. He had ordered his goons to get the unfortunate sods who would be part of his games and was waiting to hear from them. It intrigued him to see that his victims were gonna be schoolchildren. What would Batman's reaction be if he saw that children were in danger? Would it make him lose his concentration and not think properly and therefore, lose the game? And how would he react if he saw a child die in front of his eyes? The Riddler was fascinated by such ideas and hoped to see the results. He spun his bowler hat around on his finger, grinning to himself.

"When the children arrive, the games begin and given Batman's here in France, I'll be able to catch his attention easily enough, that is if my wimpy taxi driver doesn't direct him to me first, and then I can show him just how deadly my safehouse is! And I'll finally prove to the shaven monkey that I, The Riddler, am better than him!"

"You certainly love talking to yourself, don't you?" a certain soothing voice spoken from the darkness.

If the Riddler didn't love himself so much, he'd just frown and turn around in a calm manner...instead he squealed like a girl and turned around in such a frantic blur that the Flash would've given him a medal. Waving his arms about, he tried to switch his cane into its gun mode, but instead found himself falling flat on the floor in his mad bitch fit.

"Wh-Who's there!? How the hell did you get on here!? It's foolproof! No fool should be able to get in here!" the Riddler let out as if he was an owl that could talk and had done enough hooting for one night.

"It might be foolproof, but not strong enough to resist magic users" the voice replied as its owner stepped out of the shadows, revealing himself to be none other than Hawk Moth, unsurprisingly, given he had the power of teleportation, with an akuma flapping its wings above him.

The Riddler climbed to his feet and frowned at him.

"Who the hell are you!? A pantomime villain!? A cosplayer that's gotten crossed with Red Tornado and Huntress!? Are you a lonely fool!? Did Batman send you!?" he yelled angrily, waving his cane about like he was trying to swat flies out of the air.

Hawk Moth couldn't help but smirk: this was the genius the Joker was speaking of? More like some nutty professor that literally lost his marbles.

"Heh, rest assured I have nothing to do with the Bat. But I can gladly tell you that I've come across an associate of yours" Hawk Moth replied, his soothing tone slipping into the Riddler's tense muscles, relaxing him a bit, though he cocked an eyebrow upwards in response.

"An associate? Don't make me laugh! Geniuses work alone!" he exclaimed, his eyes going crazily wide.

But a sudden toothy grin lightening up the darkness sent chills running through him.

"Is that the right way of speaking of an old friend?" the giddy voice of the Joker questioned as he strutted out of the darkness, an Akuma flapping above him "Hello, boy genius!"

The Riddler suddenly calmed down and allowed his jumpy nerves to subside. He know understood what was going on and how he'd been found. The green clad villain frowned at his two purple visitors.

"Oh, you." he sighed, "Should've expected you to show up Joker. When there's a Bat, there's always a Joker. In which case, riddle me this: How are Batman and The Joker related?"

"They drive you both insane!" The Joker laughed, slapping his knee in hysterics.

The Riddler scowled, angry that the clown had worked out that riddle. If The Joker was making him look like an idiot then what chance would he have of proving he was better than Batman!

"Good answer." the puzzle master muttered, "Now get out of here! I can't afford to deal with you two clowns! I've got a Batman to deal with!"

"Oh but we want to help deal with Batman Riddler." Hawk Moth purred softly, "Joker's told me about you and how you desire to prove yourself smarter than him. Maybe we can help you in that regard..."

The Riddler paused for a moment, curious as to what this stranger was getting at. Cautiously, he answered.

"OK...but first, I want you to tell me who are you and what you think you can do to help me?" he demanded.

"I am Hawk Moth, and that's all you and the Joker need to know of for the time being." the silver headed villain replied, his tone growing sharper as he answered the question.

The Riddler frowned at him in confusion.

"Hawk Moth? What kind of a name is that? There's nothing about you that suggests your basing yourself off a hawk or a moth. Considering you use butterflies, why not call yourself Papillon?" he pointed out.

In response, Hawkmoth narrowed his blue eyes sharply, "Only one other person had that name and will forever keep that name. Now tell me what your planning to do, or so help me-

"Now now, temper tantrums won't get us anywhere. My goodness I am being logical today! Hahaha! What a surprise!" The Joker butted in and burst out laughing, making Hawk Moth sigh in defeat while the Riddler cringed in annoyance.

"Ugh...just what is your plan, Riddler?" Hawk Moth simply put in.

The Riddler hesitated for a moment, wondering if he should answer this stranger. Would Hawk Moth hijack his plan if he told him what it was? But Hawk Moth had stated he wanted to help him. The Riddler wasn't the kind of person who asked others for help but he supposed there was no harm in letting this purple-clad stranger in on his scheme. Maybe he could help in ways that would benefit him greatly. Running a hand across his stubble, he made up his mind.

"If I tell you, you won't try to stop me or hijack my plan will you?" he asked curiously.

"Why would I want to do that my good man?" Hawk Moth replied politely, "We want to help you, why would we betray you?"

"If you want to prove yourself as Batman's superior then we can help! So what are you up to?" The Joker inquired.

Deciding to trust them for now, The Riddler answered. He could always back stab the two later and just tell Batman that he did the whole thing himself without any help from them. Nobody would know and he'd be considered the superior mind.

"As you can gather Joker, this is one of my lairs and you probably know that it's full of traps and and puzzles to test the Dark Knight." The Riddler explained, "I've sent my men out to kidnap a class of schoolkids to put in my puzzles and when Batman shows up, my safe house's features will be tested on him and if all goes well, I'll beat him once and for all!"

The Joker didn't look too impressed whereas Hawk Moth looked intrigued, running a hand down his masked chin in thought.

"Geez Riddler, do you EVER come up with an original plan anymore?" the clown sneered, "You tried that last time, and the time before that, and the time before that, and the time before that, and..."

"Yes, yes, Joker we get it." Hawk Moth said quickly, "This plan of yours is intriguing Riddler. And now here's where we intend to help you..."

"Go ahead, I'm listening." the puzzle master said, smiling dryly.

Hawk Moth chuckled cooly as he began to explain away.

"As you've noticed, I have the power to Akumatise ordinary people and make them into monsters. Evilise them, to make it more simple. If Batman were to come here with Ladybug and Chat Noir, and if they were to become trapped at a certain point, we can have them bare witness to your plan succeeding. Not only will we get Ladybug's and Chat Noir's Miraculouses, but Batman will get so angry and upset about it that he himself will be akumatised. With that, he'll be our slave forever. The Justice League won't be able to stop us then." he explained, earning an intrigued look from the Riddler.

The green-clad criminal grinned from ear to ear as he took this in. Hawk Moth could turn people into super villains? And if he managed to upset Batman enough, Hawk Moth could turn him evil too? He liked the sound of that.

"Batman as our slave eh? Sounds like my kind of paradise!" The Riddler exclaimed excitedly, "I can have Batman grovel at my feet forever and kiss up to me, saying that I'm smarter and better than him! Oh yes, I'll get a kick out of this! Ha, ha, ha, ha!"

The two purple villains smiled wickedly. The Riddler was hooked like a fish and part of their plan now. How easy it had been to convince him to join them with such a promise! They intended to dispose of him later but for now, they looked back at The Riddler and smiled at him.

"We're glad you approve Riddler." Hawk Moth purred, twirling his cane around, "Together, the three of us will break the Batman and make him our slave forever."

"And with the power of the Miraculouses, we can make all who appose us kneel down before us and beg for mercy! And then we give them no mercy!" The Joker cackled.

"Speaking of Miraculouses, what are they?" the cluemaster wondered, "They some kind of magical item from a cheesy anime show?"

"They're nothing of the sort my friend. They're the real thing." the silver-masked man explained, "The local heroes, Ladybug and Cat Noir, are powered by those items..."

"Oh yes, now I remember!" The Riddler suddenly recalled, snapping his fingers, "I was there when I watched Batman and those ladybug and cat-themed teenagers fight off that gorilla man! So you say their powers are a result of those "Miraculous" things? If I recall, the cat boy can destroy things and the ladybug girl can make items appear and repair everything." he paused, grinning wickedly as he realized something, "Oooooh...imagine what I could do with that kind of power!" he said gleefully.

Hawk Moth nodded, as if sharing his enthusiasm.

"And if your traps work Riddler, we'll be able to pry those Miraculouses from their dead bodies, or even better, make them surrender the gems to us." he said, "Our plan is foolproof. It can't possibly fail!"

"It's the best plan ever since the guy who invented the word "plan"!" The Joker cried excitedly.

Both the Riddler and Hawk Moth frowned at him, then the Joker stuck his hand out in front of himself, grinning weirdly.

"Well? Hand in hand? Together as a team boys or what?" he asked in a simple tone, earning a shrug from the other two men.

"Ugh, whatever you say." the Riddler moaned as he put his hand on top of the Joker's.

"I normally wouldn't be so childish, but this is actually a better team up than instead of me talking in someone's head. Together it is then" Hawk Moth stated as he put his hand on top of the Riddler's.

"YAY! Scissors beat paper!" The Joker exclaimed as he made a gesture of the said tool, pretending he was snapping through the Riddler's and Hawkmoth's hands.

"Can someone just gag him and tie him up?" The Riddler thought with a cringe as the Joker patted Hawk Moth's shoulder.

"Right, let's get this party started, shall we!?" he yelled happily as he twirled on his toes, heading to the computer.

"My men should be bringing in the children I selected to be my targets so once they arrive and Batman and his teen sidekicks show up to save them, the party will REALLY get going." The Riddler purred, sitting down beside The Joker and watching the screens, "Oh look, here are my men now!" he exclaimed with delight.

Surely enough, there they were. A couple of vans drove up outside of The Riddler's safe house and the doors opened up, the drivers stepping out. They opened the back doors to the vans and dragged out several children, all of them bound and gagged as they were hauled out of the van. Every single child the Riddler had captured was in Marinette and Adrien's class. Alya, Nino, Lila, Juleka, Rose, Kim, Max, Ivan, Alix, Mylène, Nathanel, Sabrina and even Chloe Bourgeois had been seized from their homes or wherever they were hanging out and taken to the safehouse in the vans. They all looked either scared or angry as they were shoved through the front door. The Riddler grinned, his eyes all aglow from behind his purple-lensed glasses. The bait was here! Now he just needed to wait for the moment to hook his fish!

"All too easy." The Riddler purred, "My men may not be able to deal with Batman but they're competent enough to steal a whole class of wimpy, snot-faced, bratty kids!"

Hawk Moth seemed rather intrigued by the selection of children that The Riddler had chosen as his targets and watched as they were filed through the front door on the screen.

"I recognize those brats..." he murmured, "Yes...they were all my akumatized victims once! I could even tell you the names of each of them as they were akumatized!"

"I recognize the blonde girl." The Joker muttered bitterly, pointing at Chloe as she was pushed through the door, "She dared to stand up to me when I was causing a riot in that stupid hotel earlier! I'd love to see her suffer! Ah, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!"

"Well with any luck Joker, you'll get your wish..." The Riddler purred, "You see, one challenge I have involves an exploding phone. I've put bombs in each kids' phone so if Batman manages to save them all, one of them will end up dead anyway since only one of the bombs is real. And Batman will never guess who's got the real bomb!"

This puzzle intrigued The Joker and Hawk Moth. So it seemed that The Riddler had a contingency plan that would make Batman mad, even if he did save everybody at first. They couldn't wait to see who was the unfortunate sod who had the real bomb in their phone.

The Joker grinned and slapped the Riddler's back, making him squeal in shock.

"By Joe Eddy Eggy, you really are a genius! Hahaha!" he laughed madly, making the Riddler and Hawkmoth cringe in nervousness.

* * *

Elsewhere, Batman had returned to the rooftop of Alexandre's home, recovering whatever strength he had left in him after his fight with his clown like nemesis. He was doing his hardest to fight the boiling anger inside of him, remembering very well about Ladybug's and Chat Noir's warnings of what the Akuma could do.

 _Don't lose your temper. Keep under control. You can't let yourself become vulnerable to an akuma..._ Batman told himself mentally.

He repeated those words over and over, knowing that repetitive thinking often turned into actions. The more he thought about it, the more he'd keep himself under control. He entered the house and walked into the bedroom where The Riddler's unfortunate taxi driver was still imprisoned. He was glad Ladybug and Cat Noir weren't here right now, he couldn't imagine that they would've approved of methods such as this. They struck the Gotham vigilante as the type of heroes who had heavy standards and never resorted to things like psychological or mental torture to get what they wanted. It was better that he was alone. He'd be able to call them when he got the information he required and then the trio could all storm The Riddler's safehouse together.

Batman pulled the bed away from the wardrobe doors and immediately, the terrified Frenchman tumbled out, gasping for air and shaking like mad. He looked half mad.

"Merci! MERCI!" he screeched, "I thought I was gonna lose ma sanity in there! I have a nasty feeling I'll be suffering from claustrophobia for ze rest of ma life!"

He turned around and saw Batman, screaming like a little girl at the sight of him.

"SACRE BLEU!" he shrieked, "Le Batman! Whatever it is monsieur, please don't hurt me! I had some crazy nut trap me in ma own wardrobe! I can't take anymore torture!"

"I'm not here to hurt you." Batman said, his voice low and measured, "I just need to know one thing. You're The Riddler's taxi driver and you took him somewhere. Where did you take him? Where can I find him?"

Alexandre was so traumatized by his being trapped in the wardrobe for a long time that he didn't even bother asking how Batman knew he was working with The Riddler. It was possible he and that man who locked him in there to begin with were in together but Alexandre didn't care or event think about it. He just immediately opened up and spilled everything to him.

"He's in his so-called "safe house" along le River Seine!" he exclaimed, "It's just north from le Eiffel Tower! It's a building standing by itself with darkened windows and a welcome mat at the door! It doesn't stand out much but you should find it monsieur! Just don't hurt me sil vous plait?!"

Batman raised his hand, signalling for him to stop and that he could calm down.

"Alright, that's all I needed to know" he stated as he turned on his heels.

But Alexandre suddenly grabbed him by the shoulder, only for the dark costumed man turned around to face him, firmly grabbing his arm and held it down with a warning look on his face.

"What is it now?" he asked with a hint of irritation in his voice.

"Y-You won't have me arrested, will you!? I've had enough of getting mixed up in this shit! I swear, I'm telling ze truth! I won't work for madmen ever again!" he begged as he sunk to his knees, breaking down into an emotional fit.

Batman looked down at the pathetic Frenchman, almost feeling sorry for him. It was often hard to watch people breaking down be it because of sanity slipping or emotional matters. He decided that he would leave Alexandre alone. The poor man had been tortured enough tonight, he didn't deserve anymore. He softened his gaze.

"No. You're an innocent in all of this." he said, "Not all people serve madmen by choice. I won't have you arrested. That'll give you a chance to redeem yourself."

Alexandre let out a great sigh of relief, feeling his heart beat slowing down in response.

"Oh merci monsieur..." he sighed happily, "I'll find some way to repay you for your kindness!"

"No payment necessary. Just forget you ever saw me." Batman said bluntly.

He turned on his heels and left the room, his cloak billowing out behind him like giant wings. Alexandre watched him leave and then leap out of his window. He wondered what would happen if Batman caught The Riddler. Hopefully the big-headed, ill-mannered man would get what was coming to him. He didn't care anymore. As Batman left, he closed his balcony window and drew in the curtains.

"I think I'm in for an early night tonight..." he murmured to himself, keen to escape into sleep so he could put all of this behind him...

* * *

Marinette was hiding behind the back of her home, speaking frantically on the phone to her mother and father as Tikki floated above her, listening in while munching on the second cookie she had been given. The bluenette and the Kwami had retreated to here after Ladybug's earpieces started bleeping once the battle with the Joker was other. Marinette would switch back to her heroic alter ego soon, but first she had to speak to her parents to see if they were okay. Seeing the Joker threatening them had certainly shook her hard, and right now she was trying to calm herself down once her mother had answered.

"Mom!? I saw everything on the news! Are you and dad okay!?" she almost screamed as she began to hold a shaking hand to her mouth.

"Calm down Marinette, we're fine. We're just a little shaken." came the voice of Sabine, who sounded quite relieved, though slightly on edge.

Marinette couldn't blame her mother for feeling that way considering this was the first ever time she and Tom had been threatened, especially by a dangerous lunatic like the Joker.

"But what's more important dear is if you are alright. Are you still at the Agreste Mansion?" her mother then questioned with a great amount concern in her voice.

Thinking quickly, Marinette responded as soon as she heard her mother finish her sentence.

"N-No! I was coming after you, but Adrien said it was best I stayed at home and keep myself locked in! I-I'm sorry, I was just so worried, I f-felt like I had to do something!" she exclaimed, moving her hand over her chest to steady her heartbeat, which had increased greatly, and the poor French girl was trying not to cry about it.

"While that was a crazy idea, it's understandable dear. You were worried, but where you are right now is the safest place. Just keep the doors locked and wait until we get back. We might be a while yet" Sabine explained from her end, her tone dropping to a more softer and comforting one.

Her words, however, made Marinette frown slightly.

"What do you mean a while?" she asked nervously, only to relax when her mother's voice took on a reassuring tone.

"Don't worry, dear, nothing's wrong. Captain Roger and his men just want to ask us some questions over everything that had happened, the usual. That and the medics just want to make sure your father is just fine. Once that's done, we'll be home." Sabine told her in such a calm voice that Marinette could tell a comforting smile was on her mother's face.

"Okay, mom. I'll keep everything locked and I'll wait until you get home. Give dad all my love" she said as she could feel her heart slow down a bit to its steadier pace.

"Merci, I will my dear. See you soon, and I love you." Sabine replied from her end.

"Love you too, mom. Bye." Marinette replied before ending the call.

With her nerves relaxing, Marinette slumped against the wall behind her with her chest heaving in and out as she exhaled, glancing up at Tikki as the Kwami finished her cookie. The little red creature had a sad look on her face as she faced her owner. She looked almost guilty over the whole thing.

"I'm really sorry about all that's happened, Marinette, especially with the Joker getting away." she said in a regretful tone, only for the French girl to smooth her affectionately.

"It's not your fault, Tikki. If anyone is at fault here, it's the Joker. And he won't be free for long, I can promise you that!" she said, her tone growing slightly sharper as she came to the end of her sentence. Tikki took notice of this, so she floated in front of Marinette's face, concern in her eyes.

"Marinette, don't let vengeance cloud your mind, because that'll help the Joker and Hawk Moth beat you. You have to be calm and steady your emotions" the Kwami instructed, earning a sigh from her owner.

"I know Tikki, it's just seeing that...that monster threatening mom and dad like that, it gotten me so angry and upset. I don't want that feeling ever again, Tikki." she explained, earning a nod from the Kwami.

"I understand, Marinette. Just keep everything at ease for the time being." she said softly, making the baker's daughter smile.

"Thanks for still believing in me." she spoke in a grateful voice.

"You're forever welcome, Marinette. What are we to do now?" Tikki asked as the bluenette pushed herself off the wall.

"We transform now, meet with Chat, and find Batman. Hopefully he's got a way to handle all this." Marinette replied as she clenched her fists, ready to get into action.

Tikki took notice of this and smiled "Just say the magic words, Marinette." she said sweetly, earning a quick nod and a smile from her Miraculous bearer.

"TIKKI, SPOTS ON!"

* * *

Later that night, Cat Noir pole vaulted into the air with his staff and hurled from one building to another. He hadn't powered down since The Joker's attack, something he didn't need to do since he hadn't used his Cataclysm yet. He was free to go on for as long as he wanted. He landed down on the building, feet first, and sprinted towards the edge. Cat Noir rather liked these late night runs. There was an air of beauty to a Paris night that he couldn't quite explain or put into words and the air sweeping over him made him feel exhilarated and like he could fight for the country. It was motivating and comforting at the same time.

Cat Noir leapt into the air and landed onto another building, another perfect landing for him. He then stood up and held his staff on his shoulder. He decided that he would wait and see if Ladybug or Batman, or preferably both at once, would come across him at all. He looked up at the moon, hoping that Paris wouldn't be seeing it for the last time tonight. With The Joker around, this could be anybody's last night.

"Hawk Moth and all his akumas...they seem almost irrelevant now The Joker's here..." he murmured, "I sure hope we can catch him next time we find him. If I could, I'd personally Cataclysm him out of existence and send his ashes as far away from here as possible!" he growled, clenching his fist.

"Weren't you the one who warned me about expressing such desires could result in me being akumatized?" a familiar voice asked from behind, making Chat's eyes widen in surprise.

Whirling around on his feet, the blonde haired superhero came face to face with Batman. It was spooky, almost like a horror movie in how he'd just appeared completely out of nowhere and as silent as a grave. Upon seeing him, a run of shame and guilt went through the young French kid, who rubbed the back of his head nervously.

"B-Batman...I'm sorry, I- "

"There's no need to apologise, Chat Noir. This is the first time you've encountered someone like the Joker, yes?" The Dark Knight softly interrupted and stood directly in front of the young boy, who sighed and nodded.

"Yes...there were a fair few that were similar to him, but they were mostly brainwashed or upset. The closest person to the Joker who I can compare to is Hawk Moth. He almost doesn't have any reason for why he's doing what he does. H-He just brainwashes innocent people into doing his dirty deeds, for what? To seek joy from it!?" he vented, only to get a raise of the Bat's masked eye.

Chat sighed again and ran a hand through his hair. "Again, sorry. I guess the Joker does that to you...but I never thought of Hawk Moth like that before..." He trailed off, utterly unsure of what to say.

Batman truly pitied the young fighter in front of him. It reminded him of whenever and whichever Robin encountered the Joker for the first time. They always gotten so angry and livid beyond belief at whatever cruel crime he pulled off for the first time they were dealing with him. But he had seen much worse. One time the Joker kidnapped Lois Lane because Clark Kent was managing to expose a crime the Joker and Two-Face were pulling off in Metropolis. Superman almost erupted like a volcano when he saw the Joker was going to shoot Lois. He had the nutter by his throat and was about to literally drive his fist through his chest but stopped at the last second. Batman was relieved beyond belief his best friend didn't sink to that level, because that would've led to utter chaos beyond belief.

Back to the main point, though, he decided to put a comforting arm on the feline based superhero, getting him to look up to him "I know the feeling. Just don't let those sort of feelings cloud your mind and heart when you come face to face with a situation."

Cat Noir couldn't help but smile at how understanding and sympathetic the Gotham vigilante was being towards him. Then again, he did have a teen sidekick, the famed Boy Wonder Robin, so he imagined Batman knew very well how to handle teenagers and how to speak to them.

"You know, the rumours always said that you're a cold-hearted, stoic, grim-faced kind of guy." Cat Noir said, hoping he had chosen his words wisely, "But you seem to be a very nice guy when the situation calls for it."

"Sometimes my tough demeanour isn't always appropriate to use, especially in situations like this." Batman explained, "I prefer to let Gotham know that I still have a heart, even if I can't show it much."

Cat Noir nodded understandingly. The criminal scum that Batman had to deal with daily wouldn't take him seriously if they thought he was some big softy. But the good people of the world would appreciate Batman better if they knew he had a heart like they did. Before anymore conversation could go on, the distinctive sound of a yo-yo whirring through the air caught the two black-clad crime fighters's attention. They saw a red and black spotted yo-yo wrap around a TV aerial and then the person who was using said yo-yo emerged up onto the roof. It was Ladybug. She had spotted them and had decided to join in, wondering what was happening.

"Hey Bat and Cat, what'd I miss?" she asked, "Is the Joker still hiding after he was whisked away by the akuma?"

Batman nodded with a grim look on his face.

"I'm afraid so. Not a clue of him anywhere." he admitted with a tinge of guilt in his voice. Ladybug pouted slightly upon hearing this, but it wasn't Batman's fault as he didn't know where Hawk Moth was based and neither did she or Chat. But the Caped Crusader then looked up and pulled out his pad, getting up a map of Paris on it.

"But I have located the Riddler. If we can bring him down first and do it quick, we can focus on Joker and Hawk Moth once we're done with Riddler." he informed the two youngsters, who looked closely at the pad to see that Batman had placed a marker on where the Riddler was located.

"I know that place, it was once a posh cafe, except it had a more nineteenth century look to it. A shame it's now housing a criminal." Chat noted. Batman nodded in agreement before placing his pad away.

"Something tells me I'm going to need your help in this, you two. But I want you to promise you follow every command I give once we get there." he said with his tone growing slightly sharp, only to get a quick nod in response.

"He's your villain, Batman. Your words are worth to take in mind" Ladybug pointed out.

A small smile formed on the American vigilante's lips as he began to turn around.

"Good to know" just as he was about to turn around though, Ladybug stopped him with a question.

"Um, Batman? Before we go any further, just a quick question, please?" she politely requested.

The vigilante gave her a nod, allowing her to go on.

"Why have you and the League never bothered with Paris and us before? We're not mad or anything, just curious." she explained.

The question stopped Batman dead in his tracks. He hadn't expected Ladybug to ask something like this, nor had he expected such a question to be asked. He supposed nothing went over this teenager's head, something he found to be very impressive. She was almost as sharp as the many Robins he'd mentored over the years. He turned and gave his answer, hoping it'd satisfy the spotty heroine's curiosity.

"We've been well aware of your activities for a long time." Batman explained, "It helps how the Justice League is mounted on a satellite so nothing slips under our radar. We had often thought about approaching France and getting involved. But we decided against it. It wasn't that we didn't care about France, we care about EVERY country. No land on Earth is below our interest. We just thought that if we got involved, we'd just attract more trouble. And it seems we were right as my being here brought The Joker to you..."

He paused as if needing to collect his thoughts. Ladybug patiently waited for him to continue.

"Also, we could tell you two were young teens who were too busy with college life to get too involved with the League. So we thought it'd be best to observe from the shadows, though the League made a promise that if something happened in France that got TOO out of hand, we would move in. Does this answer your question?" he asked.

The explanation almost threw Ladybug and Chat Noir off guard, especially the second part of it. The Justice League were basically still watching over them but didn't want to give to intervene in case of bigger trouble escalating, and they didn't want to wreck their civilian lives? That was...very kind of them actually. Ladybug smiled at Batman.

"It certainly does. Thank you, Batman" she said in a pleased tone.

"It really does. We're both glad you guys are counting on us to do our job, but we certainly don't mind a helping hand once in a while" Chat Noir noted, earning a lighter look from the Dark Knight.

"You're welcome." he said.

"Well then, that's that sorted so let's find The Riddler!" Ladybug announced.

"Yeah, and then he can answer this riddle: what happens when he dares to hide in our city?" Cat Noir sneered.

"He gets a beating from you both." Batman said, half humorously.

Ladybug and Cat Noir both snickered as they jumped off the building and swung off into the night with Batman leading the way. The Riddler's coordinates were in his hands and it wouldn't take long for them to get there. The Riddler had started this whole mess and Batman was keen to make him pay for it.

* * *

A few minutes passed, almost half an hour, before the heroes arrived at the puzzlemaster's safe house. There it was, standing alone unnoticed and unwanted by the rest of the city. It was almost like an outcast in a city of otherwise perfect architecture. Chat Noir tapped his finger in mock thought.

"Hm, abandoned, almost untouched, almost uncared for by the authorities...villains sure love choosing these places as their hideouts, don't they?" he pointed out as they observed the outside of the safe house.

"It might look derelict and simple, but knowing the Riddler he's probably got a lot of built in defences. Your both going to have to follow my instructions very carefully" Batman responded as he began to approach the front door, with Ladybug readying her yoyo.

"So I take it trying to open the door won't be so simple?" she asked lightly, earning the shake of the head from the vigilante.

"It certainly won't. Like I said, do everything I say and you'll both be alright." Batman reassured as he could then hear some sort of humming and clicking sounds coming from inside the door's frame. Something told him that it had to be containing a clearance system designed only for the Riddler to get past of.

But little did Batman realize was that he, Ladybug and Cat Noir had all made the biggest mistake they could've made. They were standing on the welcome mat. The welcome mat hid a sophisticated panel that could detect feet despite the fact there was a straw mat on top and it didn't recognize the feet that were now standing above it. This in turn activated one of the safe-house's security features, which was an electrical surge that leapt up from the floor and struck the intruders. The heroes all flinched in surprise as they were electrocuted. Luckily for them, The Riddler had turned the power down so it wouldn't kill them, just stun them. The trio all collapsed on top of each other, knocked out cold by the shock. Once everything was calm and still again, three Riddler henchmen seized the unconscious bodies and dragged them inside the building.

The Riddler had watched all this from his computer room, grinning like a hobgoblin to himself.

"Perfect...now the games can begin..." he purred to himself, earning some smiles of approval from Hawk Moth and The Joker, who were standing directly behind him and sharing his delight. The plan was about to begin, and soon the Miraculouses would be theirs...

* * *

 _ **This isn't good. The three big villains have teamed up, Marinette and Adrien's class are all going to be sacrificial lambs and Batman, Ladybug and Cat Noir are gonna be forced to play The Riddler's games! Will they succeed? Tune in next time as it's time for a riddle...**_


	9. Chapter 8: Let The Games Begin

**Chapter 8: Let The Games Begin**

Andre Bourgeois found himself alone in his office, seemingly looking as if he wanted to forget this whole party had ever happened. In a way, he DID want to forget about tonight. This was quite possibly one of the worst nights of his life. He threw a very expensive party for Batman to try and cash in on his popularity, a common tactic of many a politician, and what happened instead? The Joker crashed the party, ruined everything, tried to attack his own daughter and when Batman came to stop him, he didn't stick around for an interview! He was the reason the party had even happened to begin with and now Batman had left, he felt as if he had nothing to gain other than unsatisfied guests and a feeling of total embarrassment. He should never have bothered with this stupid party to begin with. It had all been a waste of time and would likely make people remember him for the wrong reasons. He massaged his forehead tenderly, trying to ease the stress he now felt from tonight.

"This is not the kind of night I had planned..." he muttered, "At the very least, Batman could've stayed around for an interview, that would've saved face!"

He sighed, letting out some of the stress inside him. A good sigh seemed to be just the thing you needed to relax yourself.

"Well, maybe I'll get lucky another time. For now, I'll just try and make everybody forget about this night." Andre murmured, "I'll go see how Chloe is doing. She better be in bed by now and not on her phone again..."

He stood up and headed out of his office, making his way down the path that would lead him to the hallway that would take him to his daughter's bedroom. As he passed over, he noticed police officers, either in uniform or from the forensics department, were studying the damage that the Joker had caused in his attack, such as removing bullets that had been lodged into the walls, studying any spilt blood, and a few guests being kept behind and being interviewed by the police detectives over what exactly happened. Andre realized that he'd probably have to keep the hotel closed for a week of two until the damage had been fully repaired and he could open it to the public again.

Soon enough he found himself in front of his daughter's bedroom door. Surprisingly, he couldn't hear the tapping of digital keypads from her phone, neither could he hear the television, giving him a hint that she was asleep. However, he felt it was better to be safe than sorry, so he gotten hold of the door knob and twisted it clockwise, pushing the door in so he could try and spot his daughter in the dark.

"Chloe? It's me, your father. Everything alright?" he softly called in as he tried to get a good look. Thanks to the lights of the hallway, he could see a bit clearly into the dark room, but what he found was not what he wanted to see.

His eyes widened slightly as he found the balcony doors of her bedroom kicked in, shattered glass everywhere, the make-up table wrecked and on its side...but worse if all was the fallen spots of blood that led to the balcony itself. Already with his blood running cold and his skin shivering, Mayor Bourgeois turned on his heels and frantically ran back the way he came.

"Captain Roger! Captain Roger! Come quickly! Please, please, I need your help!" he cried out in a mad call, reaching the wider section of the upstairs that connected to the stairs that would go down to the lobby.

Soon enough, the rather big police captain came bolting up the stairs, a worried look on his face, not the usual expression he wore whenever the mayor called him.

"What is it sir?" he asked, trying to fight off the nervousness that crept in his voice. Andre grabbed his shoulders and his face twisted into that of utter panic.

"It's Chloe! She's gone missing and her whole bedroom is a mess! I-I-It's like she b-b-been kidnapped!" he yelled frantically, already feeling his body getting rigid with fear.

But what alarmed him more was the equally frightened look on the captain's face.

"You c-can't find her?" he asked with a lot of nervousness.

"No, I can't find her anywhere!" came the scared response from the big man of Paris, though he still looked confused about the captain's scared look. But in a matter of five seconds it was answered.

"I can't find Sabrina! I told her to wait for me in the squad car, but when I went to check on her, the windows were smashed in!" Roger explained with his arms going to his head in a frantic manner, trying to hold down the rising panic inside him.

"She's gone missing too!?" Andre replied worriedly. Usually he wasn't all that bothered about Sabrina, but given what happened about half an hour earlier with the Joker, he couldn't help but feel genuinely worried for any other Parisian out there. Had the Joker kidnapped them both out of revenge because he lost!? Holding them hostage somewhere!? Or worse yet dead!?

"Yes, she has! I'm so scared for her..." Roger fretted, "What if The Joker's got her?"

"That's what I'm wondering too." the mayor said, "We have to find the two girls and fast before anything bad happens to them!"

"I swear when I get my hands on that clown, I'm gonna lock him in a cell and toss away the key!" the police captain declared, "And I don't often do that to men I arrest!"

"Just gather your officers and get them to search the perimeter!" the mayor ordered as he dashed down the stairs with the police captain following after him. Tom and Sabine Dupain-Cheng were just finishing their interview with other officers when they saw Captain Roger pull the other officers aside. Being the kind pair they were, the married couple stood up and approached them all.

"Excuse me, officers, but what's happening now?" Sabine asked in a soft tone, not wanting to be pressuring so as not to stress them out. But she was stunned as Captain Roger gave her a nervous look.

"It's my daughter and the mayor's, they've gone missing!" he exclaimed, leaving both the Chinese woman and Frenchman surprised and worried.

Normally they weren't bothered about Chloe given how much she bullied Marinette, but she was still a young teenager nonetheless, and given what happened just now with the Joker, she wouldn't even want her worst enemy to cross paths with him, especially after he threatened Tom. She covered her mouth as it settled in and she looked up at the big policeman.

"Oh dear, that's really not good. Where did you last see them?" she asked kindly.

Before Roger could reply, however, they heard someone calling out the Dupain-Chengs from outside. Looking to the doors, they saw Adrien's secretary, Nathalie, and his bodyguard, the Gorilla, come dashing in and heading towards the baker couple. The pair of them had worried looks on their faces, which was quite unusual to everyone else present. Nathalie turned to Sabine and Tom with a frantic look in her eyes.

"Mr and Mrs Dupain-Cheng, we can't find Adrien or your daughter anywhere!" she exclaimed, panic well there in her voice.

Tom's and Sabine's eyes widened in utter horror upon being told that.

"Wh-What!? But Marinette told us she went home!" Tom gasped as his heart began to beat faster and heavier.

"Adrien told me that too, but we found it was all shut and no lights were on in the upstairs windows!" Nathalie responded, shaking fast as she wondered what on Earth had happened to the children, and not even the Gorilla's soft patting on her back was going to ease her.

Tom looked at Captain Roger and gave him a sharp look.

"Captain, you have got to find Marinette and the others! They've clearly been kidnapped! Bring armed police in with heat seeking goggles or anything! Just get her home please!" he begged, falling to his knees in panic as the thought of Marinette being held by the Joker soared through him like a rocket.

"Rest assured Mr. Dupain-Cheng, we will NOT rest until the missing children have been found!" Roger declared, "I'll organise a city-wide search and if it takes us all night, I swear we'll find them!"

The determination in his voice was enough to put anybody at ease. Sabine and Tom already felt like they had nothing to fear given how serious Roger was about his determination to find the children. It really helped how France had some of the finest cops in Europe.

"Oh bless you, bless you so much!" Sabine thanked graciously.

"We're forever in your debt officer." Tom said gratefully.

"Just doin' my duty sir and madame." Roger replied, "Come on men, let's get looking for those missing kids!" he barked, blowing his whistle to catch every officer in the perimeter's attention.

All the police on duty did as they were told and began to file out of the hotel to begin searching for Marinette, Adrien, Chloe and Sabrina. Nobody would be getting any rest tonight, not while there were kidnapped kids to find. That was the thing about mankind. They always seemed to fear for the lives of their children then themselves. Missing adults raise suspension, missing kids create panic, total and uncontrollable as everybody begins clamouring for their safe returns. As the police left, Sabine embraced her large husband, her eyes full of tears and her hands trembled. Tom could feel his small wife shaking against his stomach and chest and he embraced her, hoping to ease her nerves.

"Please Tom...please let Marinette be alright!" Sabine whimpered.

"I'm praying for her too Sab." the Frenchman replied, hoping their prayers wouldn't go unanswered...

* * *

The police of Paris were looking for four missing children. If they were to find the Riddler's safe house, they would realize that there were more missing children than just the four. And Batman, Ladybug and Cat Noir were about to realize the same thing too.

Ladybug was the first to wake up, moaning sleepily as she came out of unconsciousness. She didn't even know what had hit her. What had knocked her out? That was the first thing that came to her head. But then she found herself having all new thoughts coming to her head as she opened her eyes and took in what she was looking at. The trio of heroes had been taken to a cell that was lit up by a green lightbulb that dangled from the ceiling. The cell looked featureless though Ladybug assumed it wasn't. This had to be the Riddler's safe house and if that was the case, even the cells had to contain some kind of puzzle. And the spotty heroine was getting an idea on what it was.

She had noticed that she and her black-clad friends were chained to the wall, their limbs spread out in an X shape and held in place by thick clamps that looked impossible to break. Batman seemed oddly relaxed, presumably because he was used to being in this position and because he was known to be a master escape artist. Ladybug and Cat Noir had never ended up like this before and the feeling of being restrained was beginning to make them feel uneasy. They wanted to get away. They tugged on their cuffs, but immediately stopped when Batman glanced over at them.

"Don't. You'll cause yourself too much stress and harm." he warned, "You have to stay calm. I have a feeling The Riddler will tell us how we're meant to escape..."

A crackle of a radio like device then went off a bit, and soon followed was the smug voice of the house's owner, who was obviously smirking even if the trapped heroes couldn't see him.

"Ah, so glad that you've woken up. Are your brains operating at full capacity? They better be because I don't like spoon feeding brainless chimps!" the Riddler spat through the com, making Batman roll his eyes under his cowl, while Ladybug and Chat Noir frowned upon hearing him.

"That's the Riddler, I take it?" the former asked as she looked over at Batman, who nodded.

"Yes, that's him" he confirmed.

"Heh, sounds almost like he's Chloe's long lost twin brother." Chat Noir joked, earning a smirk from Ladybug, nothing from Batman, but gotten a growl of annoyance from the Riddler.

"Why you simple headed pretty boy! I'm nothing like that brat of a simpleton!" he exclaimed, sounding as if he was about to pop a blood vessel in his extreme rage, only for the trapped heroes to hear him pant repeatedly to calm himself, almost as if he entered a race with Flash. When he spoke again, a chuckle escaped his lips.

"But I can gladly tell you three that I'm not alone this time..." he informed as another buzz of electricity was heard. What followed next dreaded Ladybug's and Chat Noir's ears, even if the voice itself was soothingly calm.

"My dear young Miraculers, what trouble have you gotten yourselves into this time?" the two French superheroes gasped as they recognised it. It had been a long time since they last heard such a voice, but they knew for sure it was him.

"Hawk Moth!?" Ladybug exclaimed in disbelief and anger, clenching her fists despite them being restrained to the wall. Batman lifted his head up, suddenly interested and alarmed at hearing this new voice.

"Hawk Moth? That's him?" Batman murmured, "What's he doing casting his lot in with The Riddler?"

"No doubt they're trying to get our Miraculouses..." Cat Noir theorised, "Is that your game Hawk Brains?! Huh?! You and The Riddler teaming together just so you can get our Miraculouses?! Is that it?!"

There was a long silence that followed, probably done on purpose to make the feline-themed hero feel uneasy for a moment. Then there was a reply, delivered in a condescending tone.

"My, my little cat, we are a bad-tempered one aren't we?" Hawk Moth sneered, "But you're clearly not a buffoon. You've accurately worked out my part in all of this. Now I'll switch you over to The Riddler so he can inform you on what's to come."

"Forget it, we don't need to hear anything from that jerk." Ladybug snorted, "We know what he's doing, he's gonna make us play some kind of game. Batman's told us what The Riddler does and how he operates."

The response the bluenette heroine received was one she hadn't expected. It was a mocking laugh that seemed to be deliberately trying to annoy her in how it was delivered. The Riddler clearly sounded amused by the impetuous nature of his captive.

"I think I can see why the Dork Knight decided to team up with you!" the puzzlemaster snorted, "You're just as big-headed as he is! But as much as it pains me to give you brainless gorillas a compliment, you were absolutely right Ladybug. I am going to make you play some kind of game. And you better play...or many lives will be sacrificed by your selfishness..."

As The Riddler concluded his sentence, a TV screen descended down from the roof. Batman had expected something like this and knew full well that tonight was about to get very unpleasant. He dreaded to think what captives The Riddler had in his death traps now. The TV turned itself on and all three captives got a nasty shock. For Batman, it was just shocking but for Ladybug and Cat Noir, it was shocking on a personal level. The screen showed four different camera views of four different rooms all over the safe house. And each one showed off a group of bound and gagged children, all terrified and screaming muffled cries for help. The victims being children was already disgusting to them but what made it worse was the fact that Ladybug and Cat Noir knew perfectly well who those children were. It was their entire class from Lila to Alya to Nino and even Chloe! Both French heroes cried out in despair whereas Batman wasn't sure how to react. He'd never known The Riddler to stoop so low as to kidnap children and put them through hell.

"No..." Batman murmured.

"We know those teens!" Ladybug gasped, her face white and her voice full of fear, "They're some of our biggest fans and all of them were once akuma victims! Why did The Riddler have to use them?!"

"Don't even think of shouting the usual "let them go" because that's just cliche and idiotic. Your in no position to make any demands." the Riddler pointed out, not noticing just how stunned and upset Ladybug and Chat Noir were.

While they were worried about all of them, they took notice of Alya and Nino on one of the screen's digital panels, seeing they were tied to a pole in the middle of one room, with the walls opposite them covered in some sort of metal, and the walls looked odd. Chat Noir didn't know how exactly the Riddler gotten past his house's defence systems, but he was going to make sure they'd be upgraded once this was all over.

"Take your pick, kids and adult, but be quick, otherwise our dear Riddler will get bored and get VERY angry. He's not the type to wait things out." Hawk Moth informed them, his voice ever so calm, though they could tell he was enjoying this. Ladybug looked downwards and narrowed her eyes into an angry scowl.

"If we manage to free all of those children, we'll give you our Miraculouses, Hawk Moth." she said in a bitter tone, surprising Chat Noir and Batman, even their captors.

"My my, what's this? Pre-surrender plans even if you win? This means tonight is my lucky night!" the silver masked man said in a pleased voice, his grin probably as big as the Joker's right now. But then something occurred to Chat Noir that made him cock a masked eyebrow, before looking up at the ceiling.

"Before we start this, I want to know something, Dorkmoth: why didn't you just take our Miraculouses when you knocked us out earlier?" he questioned in a sharp tone, gaining raised heads from Batman and Ladybug, both realising he raised a good point.

A moment of silence passed until they gotten an answer, and this time it sounded as if Hawk Moth was pouting.

"In all honesty, I was tempted to take them, but the Riddler persuaded me that this way of getting them would be much more fun and it would be worth it. So far I'm getting satisfied." he said, a tickle of a chuckle sliding off his lips

"I guess the same can be said about me and my identity. Too easy for you to take off my mask while I'm unconscious, Riddler?" Batman then questioned with a snarky voice, clearly wanting to throw another jab at the nutty genius again before starting this deadly game.

"Oh you should know me by now, Batman. I find the easier things too lazy, especially for a terrific mastermind like me. Now, are we getting this game started or shall I just kill the brats now?" the stubble faced criminal asked, getting impatient with having this big of banter going off.

He wanted to see what made them tick and wanted a lot of fun out of it. Sighing in response, Batman looked at the screen again, sadness filling his masked features as a familiar feeling settled in upon seeing the young teenagers all bound and gagged in lots of uncomfortable ways...it reminded him so much of Jason's last moments of being alive. He could only imagine the terror and fear he was feeling as the Joker beaten him to death all over his body with that crowbar...he felt like he lost his own child then. If any of these children were to lose their lives tonight, he'd never forgive himself. They all had their parents out there, worried to death about their current whereabouts. They needed to be saved and he was determined that not be of them would share the same fate Jason suffered at the hands of the Joker.

"Alright. We'll play your game, Riddler. But Ladybug and Chat Noir can choose who we save first. They know who those children are, so it's down to them." he grimly said, sharing a glance with the two young trapped superheroes, both of whom looked at him in surprise: they never saw him look so...sad and unsure before.

Of course, they never knew the story about Jason Todd, but it became evident to them that he had been in a similar situation once. But Ladybug and Chat Noir had already made up their minds who they wanted to save first.

"We wanna go into the room which has Alya and Nino in it." Ladybug said, "They're the two kids in the glasses together." she added, in case The Riddler didn't know which ones were them.

"You seem closest to them then if they're your first saves my dear." came the gloating voice of The Riddler, "Well then, let the games begin! Your first challenge is this: If you can work out which one of you three is the odd one out, your cuffs will open. Be careful though, you only get THREE guesses. If you fail then you'll be trapped forever and those stupid kids will never be saved!"

There was a hiss of static as the intercom switched off, leaving the captive heroes alone in their silence. They exchanged glances with one another, pondering about the question. It was certainly and interesting challenge. Who was the odd one out of the three?

"Odd one out...odd one out..." Ladybug murmured, "Let's see, who could it be? Is it me because I'm red and you and Batman are black?" she thought, "And also the fact that I'm the only girl too?"

"It could be me. I'm the only one who's NOT themed after a winged animal." Cat Noir noted, "But it could also be Batman since he's the only adult here and he's also the only one who's NOT from France."

The two teens thought for a moment, almost scared to give their guesses to The Riddler. What if they were wrong? They'd never get free if that was the case. But Batman looked calm and collected, as if he'd worked it out.

"The answer is simple." Batman cut in, "It's a trick question. There is NO odd one out. We're all too dissimilar from each other for there to BE an odd one out."

The cuffs made a bleeping sound and then suddenly opened up, freeing the heroes's wrists and ankles. They all lowered their arms and rubbed their wrists better, relieved to be free. Cat Noir beamed, his grin so wide that he almost looked like a friendlier version of The Joker.

"Wow Batman, that was great! You worked it out!" he complimented.

"He's had plenty of experience with the guy kitty, he's gonna work his questions out quicker than we can." Ladybug noted, "Now we're free, I assume we'll be on our way to our next challenge."

"Indeed." Batman murmured, walking up to the door, "And with any luck, we're not too late to save Alya and Nino."

He proceeded to kick the door down, where he and the two young superheroes found themselves in a dimly lit corridor that was being lightened up by small green light bulbs. Very typical of the Riddler to do such a thing.

"So much for this being a cafe. Must be in an underground room." Ladybug stated as she remembered the old safe house's former use.

"The Riddler must've had this plan in mind for a long time to have all this constructed. I'll need to find all of his contacts after we've brought him in." Batman responded as he then approached a dark green door, with a small screen on there displaying the light green text letters "A" and "N".

Batman hummed briefly, knowing very well that Alya and Nino were behind the door, but wasn't sure whether to trust the door or his instincts. Though he made his choice as Chat Noir was about to bash it down, getting in his way.

"Wait! Remember what happened outside?" he reminded the young black clad teen, who nodded in response, before standing back to allow Batman to handle situation.

The vigilante removed some sort of tiny silver disc that was laced into his gloves, before tossing it at the door knob, which crackled to life with electricity and zapped the small disc as a massive bolt, only for the disc to make a small explosion, blasting out a chunk of the door and rendering it's built in trap harmless.

Sighing in relief, Ladybug led the way in, only to find herself standing on the ledge of a balcony of some sorts. Frowning, she gazed about the room, taking note of its grey bricked walls and the cold chill of the air inside it. Yet no sign of it's occupants...

"LADYBUG! DOWN HERE, GIRL!" ah, there we go.

Following the voice of her best friend, Ladybug gasped in surprise and relief to see Alya and Nino were a few feet down on the floor below, tied to a pole in the middle of the room, while the walls on the bottom floor had some metal fencing on it. They both smiled as they saw the trio of heroes above them.

"I knew you'd come, Ladybug!" Alya cried in relief as Nino nodded in agreement with her.

"You've gotta get us out of here, this is far from rad, more like rock bottom!" Nino yelled as he struggled against his bonds.

Ladybug readied her yoyo, only for a crackle of the intercom to come back, and soon enough came the Riddler's smug voice.

"Now now, my dear. This wasn't going to be easy, it never was. Yes, you beaten the riddle. But can you beat time?" he asked with a tiny giggle at the end.

A sudden groan of mechanics came to life, making Ladybug and Chat Noir gasp as they saw the electric fencing on the walls came to life, but what was worse was that walls were literally starting to close in. And that gave Alya and Nino very good reason to start panicking.

"Not good! Not good!" Nino exclaimed fearfully.

"Get us outta here, now!" Alya cried, not enjoying this moment at all, and who could blame her!?

Ladybug was about to leap over the balcony, only for Chat Noir to pull her back with a firm grip.

"Stay here, M'Lady, I've got this!" he declared, before leaping over the edge, did a spin in the air to increase his speed, and landed on the bottom floor in a few seconds.

Swiftly, the blonde feline drew out his bo-staff, lifted it over his head and increased its length very greatly, to the point where it stretched across the room and pushed against the closing walls, connecting the staff to the small clearing above the fencing to avoid getting zapped by the electricity.

Leaving it there in place, Chat sped over to the two captured teens and increased his claws.

"Right, sorry if I scratch you, but this has to be done quick!" he warned, earning a pair of tightly closed eyes from the two teens. Slashing his claws downwards, he cut through their bonds.

Gasping in relief, Alya and Nino joined his side as he gave them a comforting smile.

"We're nearly there, guys." he reassured as he took hold of Nino's hand, and Nino instinctively grabbed Alya's. Reaching his hand up, Chat grabbed his extended baton and retracted it's length a bit, before swiftly slamming its rear end on the floor and rocketed himself and the two teens upwards into the air, the three of them quickly reaching the balcony where Ladybug and Batman were waiting for them.

As soon as they'd landed, Alya and Nino grabbed each other tightly as if thinking their embrace could make this whole nightmare suddenly disappear. And then they hugged Cat Noir graciously for his impressive save.

"Way to go CN!" Alya cried, "My god, I thought we were goners down there!"

"I just hope I can feel my heart again..." Nino gasped, "Great save dude!"

"Yes, that was a very impressive save." Batman complimented, smiling slightly, "The three of us may well pull through at this rate."

Cat Noir smiled modestly. It was usually his female companion who got all the praise while he got some of it for his assistance. But he was grateful for the thanks and congratulations he was receiving.

"What can I say? Some people are worth risking my nine lives over." he said.

The brief moment of happiness was interrupted by a burst of static as The Riddler's voice rang out over the intercom once more.

"Inconceivable!" he moaned, "How did you pull that off?! I really should've taken away your stick cat boy! However, don't get excited yet. That was the EASY one. It gets harder from here."

"Do your worst Riddler! We'll beat all of your stupid challenges, even if we have to tear this house down just to get to you!" Ladybug growled.

"Give it up while you still can Nygma. It'll be less humiliating for you if you do." Batman warned.

"No chance Dark Knight! I've worked too hard to make this genius death trap and I ain't wasting it now!" The Riddler retorted, "Now for your next challenge, there is a room that contains three young girls who I'm sure don't wanna die today. I had to look at their phones to learn their names. They're Lila, Rose and Juleka. No doubt you know them since you seemed familiar with all my captives. You want them? Then find the next room..."

"And to further point out, Alya and Nino CANNOT help you answer the riddles. You three are the superheroes after all." Hawk Moth crowed, leaving the recently freed young captives to growl angrily.

"So much for the short moment of joy" Nino said with an angry tone.

A sudden burst of electricity came from outside, bringing the heroes and the two youngsters back into the corridor, where they found half of the corridor had been cut off by a huge blasting wall of electricity in the middle of it. From what they could make out, there was a door on the other side waiting for them, most likely containing the three captive girls. The Riddler's voice then returned over the intercom.

"For this riddle, if you get it right, the electric wall will come down, but you only have three guesses. Get one wrong, and you'll earn a zap of electricity for your stupidity." he informed them, only for Ladybug and Chat Noir to glare at the ceiling, assuming he was somewhere above them on the surface.

"Give us all you have, Riddler! What's the riddle!?" Ladybug angrily demanded, clenching her fists to ease the adrenaline that was already running right through her.

"Simply put, my dear, here it is: there is a creature that lives in different stages of the day. In the morning, it's on four feet. In the afternoon, it's on two feet. In the evening, it has three feet to walk on. What is it?" the Riddler smugly responded, chuckling as he saw everyone's faces twist in confusion. Even Batman was lost on that one.

"Never heard that one before..." he quietly noted, making sure that the Riddler didn't hear him, while Ladybug tapped her chin in thought.

"I might've heard this one before..." She whispered to herself, beginning to pace from one wall to the other to get her brain going.

Nino then raised his hand, as if he wanted to be noticed or, simply put, to ask a question "Is it some sort of insect?" he asked with a frown.

In a sudden response, the entire ceiling suddenly glowed green with a huge blast of electricity, from which a bolt of it came flying towards Nino, who gasped in shock and dove to the side, cringing as he heard the bolt blast down a section of the wall behind him. Everyone looked shocked at what had just occurred, but no one was more angry than Chat Noir and Alya. As the electricity on the ceiling faded, they both helped Nino up.

"What the hell was that for!?" Chat Noir demanded.

"He was interfering with a question that he's not allowed to answer, dear boy. Can't let your friends give your brain a hand in solving this riddle." came the cruel response of the Riddler.

"You're sick!" Alya spat with an angry scowl, only to get a nasty chuckle in response.

"Oh seeing you apes get so angry over this is getting me all giddy in a good way. How I love it" he said, as if wanting another insult from the youngsters. Batman patted Alya's shoulder gently.

"For your own good, stay out of it, and don't let him get to you" he calmly suggested, only to get a sigh of disappointment in response. Given she often clashed with Chloe in class, Alya was the argumentative type of person: she wouldn't stop until she owned the person she was arguing against.

A sudden click of fingers brought their attention to Ladybug, who beamed brightly as she realised something.

"I've got it! It's us, humans!" she exclaimed pleasantly, only to get a bunch of frowns in response. Raising her hands in a calm manner, the bluenette spoke away.

"When we're born and as babies, we crawl on our hands and feet. Then when we get older, we walk on our two feet. Then when we reach old age, we end up using a walking stick sometimes to help us get around" she explained as if she was the master brain box, gaining surprised looks from the others.

"That...actually makes a lot of sense" Batman stated as it settled in, colouring him impressed.

Spinning on her heels, Ladybug smugly looked up at the ceiling and placed her hands on her hips.

"That's my final answer. Am I right?" she asked calmly. There was a brief moment of silence before a dread filled sigh came over the intercom

"Ugh, how do you do it? Yes, it's right, you can pass." came the Riddler's miserable voice.

Ladybug punched the air triumphantly, pleased to have scored a point. She imagined that he'd be very humiliated if he got bested by not just Batman for the millionth time, but two teenagers too. The electricity shut off, allowing the heroes to move on down the corridor. They reached a door that had the initials "L, J and R" on. Lila, Juleka and Rose. It had to be. Batman used another disc weapon to short circuit the screen and unlock the door again, opening it so they would walk inside. Alya and Nino had watched, impressed and excited that they were watching Batman in action and seeing his famed gadgets for themselves.

The trio walked inside the room and saw a grisly sight. There were Lila, Rose and Juleka, shackled to the wall by their wrists and still gagged, crying muffled cries for help. They looked terrified, more scared than they'd ever been before. Even their becoming akuma victims wasn't as terrifying as this. Ladybug tried to go forward but Batman grabbed her shoulder and yanked her back.

"Don't. That's what he wants you to do." he said grimly.

To prove his point, he took out a Batarang and tossed it at the wall just above Juleka's head. The weapon got nowhere near for it suddenly tore itself to pieces in midair and fell to the ground. The four teens gasped but Batman didn't even look surprised. It was hard to see in the dim light but he knew what it was.

"Razor wire." he explained, "We can't get near. No doubt we have to answer a riddle to make the path clear for us."

"That is correct Dork Knight!" the puzzlemaster's voice gloated over the intercom, "The three captives will find themselves shared out in halves unless you can beat my next challenge. Above them is a saw blade..." he paused as lights switched on, illuminating three huge, wicked sharp saw blades that hung above the captive girls, "...it will descend slowly and steadily until...well, you get the "point" I hope." he sneered, "Now be SHARP my dim-witted captives! You need to answer a riddle to stop the saw blades and get rid of the razor wire..."

"Trust him to make puns worse than Cat Noir's just to stick it to us." Ladybug sighed.

"So riddle me this heroes!" The Riddler crowed, ignoring Ladybug's remark, "What is the ONE question in the world you CANNOT answer yes to?"

As soon as he'd finished, the saw blades whirred into life, a loud squeal of death splitting through the air and making everybody cringe. Lila, Juleka and Rose all screamed muffled screams of terror as the deadly blades began to slowly descend down a straight track that led to them. If the riddle wasn't answered in time, they would be killed instantly and a lot of blood would need moping up from the floors and walls later.

Chat Noir pulled his hair in frustration and nervousness, not liking this one bit.

"How the hell do we answer that question!?" he exclaimed, his feline eyes turning to slits.

"Would it have to do with secret identities or something!?" he looked to Batman as he asked this question, only to get a small hum in response.

"Highly unlikely. It's to obvious and it would be easily wrong." he responded as he tried to think this over in his head.

"Why do I get the feeling if it's to do with religion?" Ladybug suggested as she looked over to Alya, who shrugged.

"Don't ask me, girl. I wouldn't have a clue and we aren't aloud to help you out." she stated, earning a groan from Ladybug.

Chat Noir frowned and played with his feline ears for a bit "Religion...would it be Does God exist or Is there a life after death? Could be one of those." he summed up.

"But you CAN answer yes to that question since people believe in god and heaven." Ladybug noted, "It can't be that."

Batman nodded, agreeing that that answer was wrong. He watched saw blades, descending slowly as the Riddler had promised. It would take about ten minutes before they reached their targets. The captives squirmed, trying to get free. Lila's eyes were full of fright, Rose was in tears and Juleka seemed to be trying to forget this was happening. Ladybug and Cat Noir were full of fright, desperately trying to work out the answer. They weren't used to thinking on their feet. Batman found himself growling in anger. It just wasn't right. How could The Riddler put children's lives at risk just to prove his own intellectual superiority?! Batman couldn't let the children die, not like this!

Die...death...dead...

Batman's head reeled as he thought about the words. Why did they mean something to him? He pondered about the meaning of the words and the riddle...and then the pieces of the puzzle finally connected. He had worked it out! The saw blades were halfway down, nearing their targets as the Dark Knight worked out the answer.

"Are you dead?!" Batman shouted up at the ceiling.

Everybody stared at him as if he was crazy but Batman didn't take any notice. He carried on.

"You can't answer "yes" to the question "Are you dead?" because if you can, you're not dead!" Batman explained, "You're alive! You'd be lying if you said yes to "Are you dead?"!"

The saw blades continued down as if the answer had been wrong. That made Ladybug put a hand to her eyes in fear. Did Batman get it wrong? But then suddenly...the blades stopped! They were halfway and a quarter down the track, a safe distance still above the captive's heads. They all sighed with relief through their noses. They were safe. Batman also saw briefly in the light that the razor wire was disappearing too, retracting back into the walls like some kind of magic trick. The path to the girls was now clear. The Riddler's voice rang out over the intercom again.

"How the hell did you work that out?!" he whined pathetically.

"Because I'm powerful mentally as well a physically." Batman retorted.

"Whatever, just go free the stupid girls already!" The Riddler sighed, "You can have a moment for kisses and cuddles and then your next challenge will be to save two boys named Kim and Max. Don't take too long!" he added tauntingly, switching off.

As soon as his sentence was finished, the youngsters all ran over to the trapped trio of girls, undoing their bonds and gags, with Chat undoing Juleka's, Alya undoing Rose's, and Ladybug was undoing Lila's. As soon as they were free, Rose embraced Juleka, who sighed in relief as she returned the hug.

"I thought we were goners for a moment!" Rose cried out as she rested her head on Juleka's chest.

"It's okay, we're free now." she softly responded, making her friends smile at the sight.

However, Lila looked at Ladybug in surprise after she was freed by her, her young face twisting into confusion.

"Ladybug? Y-You saved me...why?" she asked in disbelief. Given her last encounter with the blue haired girl, she wasn't too fond of her, so the fact that Ladybug herself chosen to get Lila out of her bonds was a massive surprise to her.

Ladybug rested her hands on Lila's shoulders and gave her a soft smile.

"Because I care, and I want to show you that I'm really sorry for how I treated you when we first met. Admittedly, I thought you were just an attention seeker and a liar, but I gotten you akumatised, and I ended up hearing that you were saying those things because you were feeling lonely." she explained, gaining everyone's interest.

Batman couldn't help but feel quite curious about this bit of info he was overhearing. For a young teenager, Ladybug certainly had a good heart on her and was greatly noting her own mistakes towards someone who seemed to deeply dislike her. She would've made Superman proud, that's for sure.

"But all those horrible things I said about you..." Lila pointed out, only for Ladybug to raise her hand in a soft gesture to get her to stop.

"I deserved every insult you dished out, Lila. I was being VERY selfish and I acted very similar to Chloe, treating one person like dirt and treating another like a trophy. I shouldn't have done that and I'm really sorry. Think you can forgive me now?" she kindly asked with a small smile, not noticing Chat glancing down to the floor with a small blush as he revered that confrontation in the park.

For a few seconds, Lila looked unsure, making the atmosphere a bit intense for a moment...then she sighed and her expression softened.

"I can't be mad at someone forever, specially someone like you." she responded, before giving her a good hug.

Batman couldn't help but awe at the sight of the two girls giving each other a hug. Certainly reminded him back in the days when Robin was an early trainee whenever they made up after having a falling out. Rose smiled happily at the sight.

"That is cute! I told you that they'd make up!" she happily told Juleka, who smirked at her best friend's enthusiasm.

"Heh, this is totally going up on the Ladyblog later" Alya noted, mentally wishing she had her phone on her now.

Lila pulled back and gave Ladybug a pleasant smile "Thank you, Ladybug. Thank you so much." she said gratefully, earning a kind nod in response.

"Your welcome, Lila." she responded.

Before a moment of silence snuck in, Batman walked over to them both "As nice as it is seeing this, we have two other children to save along with a few others. I suggest we move forward now." he explained in a sharp tone, getting back to business.

"Ah yes, of course." Ladybug quickly said, "Let's go."

With that said, the three heroes and five rescued children ran off towards a door set in the wall and they let themselves out of the room, entering another corridor. Then they traversed down the corridor, approaching another door which had the letters "K" and "M" to mark that Kim and Max were in this room. It was certainly an odd duo, the jock and the nerd trapped in a room together, but that wasn't important. Batman noticed that this door had something different to a screen though. It instead had what appeared to be some kind of puzzle. There was a touch screen with a keypad up on it and under the screen was a series of numbers. Some kind of code? They said:

1 18 5, 25 15 21, 21 16, 20 15, 20 8 5, 3 8 1 12 12 5 14 7 5

Cat Noir saw this and scratched his head, puzzled.

"What the heck does that mean?" he mused, "What kind of puzzle is this?"

"A pretty thought challenging one." Batman answered, "It's a code written in numbers and in order to decipher it, we have to connect them to letters of the alphabet. For example, 1 becomes A, 2 becomes B and so on."

"Wow, that's pretty clever and creative, as much as I hate having to give that jerk a compliment..." Ladybug scowled.

"So um, what do the numbers say when you turn them into letters Batman?" Juleka asked.

"I'm about to find out now." the caped crusader murmured as his fingers hovered over the touch screen, ready to press some keys to put the letters in.

He began to type away, being steady and careful with his deciphering, having to rely on his memory of the alphabet's numbering and translate that as he typed away on the pad. Alya was tempted to say something regarding her phone's location but felt it was best to keep quiet so that way the Dark Knight could concentrate hard. Shortly afterwards, the air intensified as Batman stepped back from the door, having finished his work on decoding the numbers. Up on the screen was the translated words "Are you up to the challenge".

The screen flashed a comforting green, showing that Batman had indeed cracked the code and the door opened up, allowing the heroes inside the next room. What they saw was a pretty horrible, but also slightly unbelievable sight. They saw Kim and Max, strapped down to a table each in the centre of the room and two huge laser cannons attached to the ceiling and pointing down at them. The whole scene was slightly ludicrous, like a scene from a James Bond movie. But the one thing that made it terrifying was the fact it wasn't a movie. It was real. The lasers would be real and the deaths they caused would be real. The two boys tried calling for help but their gags kept them silent.

"There they are!" Ladybug cried, "We've gotta save them!"

But as she stepped forward, two rectangular slots opened up in the walls, one on each side and a force-field emitted between them. Nobody would be able to reach Kim and Max now. Batman had a feeling that was the point. Solve a puzzle and the force-field would shut down. And as the intercom cracked into life once again, the Dark Knight knew they were just about to receive their challenge.

"You've made it this far my dim-witted cheaters but this is where it ends!" The Riddler announced, "As you can see, Kim and Max are just about to end up as two halves of one whole! If you want to make the "cut" my friends then you better be able to answer this next question. If not, then the lasers get to see how long it takes to cut through live people!"

Then, as if done deliberately to give them less time, the lasers started before the question had even been asked! They leapt out of the barrels and hit the tables just at the top. They would then slowly move down towards the victims until they hit and the killing would start.

"H-hey! That's not fair! Ladybug didn't get her question y-yet!" Rose stammered feebly.

"If you want to save the boys then don't waste time by saying such stupid drivel!" The Riddler snorted, "Now, riddle me this Batman, Ladybug and Cat Noir: Poor people have it, rich people need it. If you eat it, you die. What is it...?"

Rose gasped and was about to answer, only for Nino to gesture at her not to say anything, otherwise she'd get a blast of electricity for her troubles, or worse get shot in half by a pair of lasers. It was down to the three superheroes to solve, no one else. Batman tapped his head thoughtfully, thinking hard about this riddle.

"I remember something similar to this back when I first started...it can't be money, that's for a start" he said more to himself, unintentionally blocking out the others.

Ladybug groaned as she scrunched her face up while Chat rested on his baton in thought, playing with his feline ears to get his brain ticking.

"Oh I don't know this one! I'm starting to wish I read all of those clue books back in my early years!" she said frustration, resisting the urge of pulling her pigtails. If only the Miraculous magic increased their knowledge of history and riddles.

The rescued friends were watching Kim and Max nervously as they saw the laser beams etch ever so closer to their heads. Kim might've been a troublemaker, but he was miles better than Chloe in terms of attitude, and Max was the youngest out of their class. Like the rest of them he had his whole life ahead of him. No way did he and Kim deserve to be blasted in half, especially at such a young age.

The eyes of the two captives grew wide as they felt their hair beginning to get hotter and even though they were gagged, they could sniff out that horrible burning smell. Next thing they knew it would be the smell of burning flesh and they didn't want to find out what that smelt like. Sweat drops began to dribble down their heads, and the pair closed their eyes tightly as a hard fist clenched around their hearts, readying them for the possible end...

"Nothing! That's it, nothing!" Chat Noir suddenly yelled at a click of his fingers, making everyone whirl around and turn to him. He grinned happily, almost certain that he hit the jackpot.

"It's one of the oldest riddles out there! The poor have nothing, The rich need nothing, and if you eat nothing, you will die! That's it! It has to be!" he yelled at the ceiling, barely containing his excitement. It was his second try at solving a riddle and he knew it in his heart that he got it.

To confirm this an angry sigh came over the intercom, before Hawk Moth's voice spoken out over it.

"The Riddler is considering bashing his head against a wall because you got it right." he said simply, almost as if he couldn't handle the absurdness of the so called genius.

Surely enough they could all hear a few thumps of a head hitting a wall over the intercom, but it didn't settle the nervousness that fell over the freed youngsters. They all heard Hawk Moth's voice once in their heads, and to hear now as clear as day, after months of recovery work, it made them sick.

However, they let out a massive gasp of relief as they saw the lasers stopped, then about eight clicks were heard, showing the clamps that held down Kim and Max had clicked open, allowing them to get off. The force field had shut off too. The two boys ungagged themselves, ran to the larger group of freed youngsters and embraced them, happy to be free of that would've been gruesome death.

"Oh man, you really saved our skins back there!" Kim cried out, "Man I've never been so terrified in my life!"

"It was a pity that I was gagged so I couldn't help you with the answer for I knew the answer to that riddle too." Max declared, "But you worked it out anyway so my assistance clearly wasn't needed."

"Yeah, good call Cat!" Kim praised, fist-bumping the feline hero.

"Heh, what can I say? I have my brilliant moments." Cat Noir chuckled.

"So who's next Riddler?" Batman called up to the ceiling.

"There is a room containing two fat frumps named Ivan and Mylène and an annoying tomboy named Alix." the question-obsessed man replied, "I know for a fact you won't be able to save them so don't bother getting your hopes up twerp squad!"

"Twerp squad? Pfft, seriously Riddler, your insults are beginning to get worse and worse!" Ladybug jeered.

"Bare in mind he just banged his head against the wall, girl, his mind's been rocked a bit." Alya said with a smirk, earning a snicker from Lila.

"Don't think he had a mind in the first place" she pointed out, making everyone except for Batman giggle, while the Riddler was resisting the urge to throw a bitch fit over the intercom.

"Oh! Why you...I'll be the last one laughing tonight! Move along!" he ordered.

Once the crackle of the intercom went off, Batman turned to the youngsters with a hard look on his masked features, making them all stiffen up.

"Uh, Batman? What is it?" Juleka asked, sounding quite calm given how calm and assured she was feeling at the moment.

"I need you all to stop making this seem like it's a joke. Actual lives are at risk here, and you all making jokes is not making the situation better. Your friends that are still trapped could still end up dead, and if they do, you won't be laughing then." he said, resisting the urge of letting his anger getting to him, though all he did was make the teenagers shrink back nervously, all of them feeling a bit ashamed over the laughter they caused. Ladybug then stepped in front of Batman, having a more softer look on her young features.

"I'm afraid he's right, guys. You have to realise the seriousness of the situation. This isn't like every other day for us where it seems like it's a cheesy TV show. People are in danger, they could die, and the more serious you take the situation, the more focused we can be at saving them, okay?" She explained to them all, easing the intense atmosphere that Batman had created.

Nino stepped out from the crowd and gave her a nod "Lead the way then, Ladybug. Let's get the rest of them outta here!" he said in a determined voice, getting a smile off the dot clad heroine.

"That's the spirit. Move out, guys!" she said kindly, watching as they all exited the room and headed onto the next door out in the hallway with Chat Noir. Before they headed out, Ladybug turned to Batman and gave him a firm look.

"Next time just be a bit more easy on them, okay? They're only young." she sternly said, before jogging out after the youngsters, leaving Batman to think over how he just handled that moment earlier.

Yes, they were young and part of them would find this fun, but he had to bring out that other side to them that would take things more seriously. That way lives would be saved on a quicker pace. He wished he had a longer time of being young once, but it all ended on that fateful night...

Not wanting to think any further, the Caped Crusader headed back into the hallway, where he found Ladybug swinging her yoyo at a fast movement, creating the usual energy wheel that it would form at such a speed. Cocking his head, Batman reached his hand out .

"What are you-" he was cut off as the yoyo swung forward and shredded through the door they were in front of, before the yoyo came flying back and entered Ladybug's hands.

A small creek was heard and the door fell off its hinges in two pieces. Batman chose not to say anything, instead pushing forward into the next room with the others following after his huge figure.

This time, inside this room was something one would see on a reality TV show. Stood in the middle of the room were three glass containers, each having a pipe connected to it, and each containing one person, this being Alix, Ivan, and Mylène, all of whom stood up and banged on the glass walls of their containers, calling out to them only for nothing but silence to reach everyone's ears. It became obvious to them that the glass was made of some sort of soundproof material, making it further frustrating. Shortly afterwards, the Riddler's voice returned.

"For this one, apes, you have to solve the riddle before the water finishes them off." he simply put, though they could tell he was smirking as the pipes began to open and water shot inside the containers.

The trapped teenagers cried out in horror as the containers began to fill up. The water cascaded around their feet and slowly began to climb up, threatening to swallow them whole. The banging against the glass intensified as the water rushed in, eager to drag them down to their fate. Ivan and Mylène both place a hand against the glass in a way that made it look as if they were touching, very afraid for each other. They hadn't been together long, they didn't want to die now.

"Don't bother breaking the containers before they fill. It'll take too long!" The Riddler gloated, "Now riddle me this: In a one-storey pink house, there was a pink person, a pink cat, a pink fish, a pink computer, a pink chair, a pink table, a pink telephone, a pink shower– everything was pink! What colour were the stairs?"

He chuckled, thinking that at last, he'd managed to tell the one riddle that nobody would manage to get right. Batman, Ladybug and Cat Noir all began to ponder quickly on the question. It was indeed a very good one. What was the answer?

"What colour were the stairs...?" Ladybug murmured.

"Pink! Everything else in the house is pink so the stairs should be too!" Cat Noir declared.

His answer just made the water flow increase. He had got it wrong and this was the price he had to pay. Now it was filling in quicker, climbing over the captives's feet and halfway up their legs in seconds! That made them panic all the more and they started throwing themselves against the glass, eager to get free. The freed teens all gasped in horror, dreading to think that they were about to witness three horrible deaths in front of them. Ladybug scowled angrily, not at Cat Noir but at the fact they were wrong.

"Damn, wrong answer!" she cursed, "We have to think again Cat Noir!"

"Well what could the answer be then?!" Cat Noir shrieked, "Is it another trick question?!"

"Hurry! Alix, Ivan and Mylène are gonna drown!" Rose squealed.

The containers were now half full. In a matter of seconds, the water would rush over their heads and then they'd be forced to play a hideous game of "How long can you hold your breath?" The difference? Nobody would be around to celebrate their win and they would all be dead. Ladybug and Cat Noir thought desperately. What could the answer be?! But Batman looked relaxed, as if he had worked it out. That was because...he had. He looked up at the ceiling.

"There ARE no stairs!" he declared, "It's a one-storey house! One-storey houses DON'T have stairs so the stairs can't have a colour! There are none!"

When the intercom came back on, they heard the Riddler blowing through his nose, trying as best as he could to hold back his boiling rage of humiliation.

"Urgh...well done, you got it right..." he sighed and the intercom went off.

In a few seconds, the glass containers fell apart, thankfully not into shards, each face of glass slamming on the floor, with the water splashing out across the room. Ivan ran over to Mylene and gave her a strong hug, which she returned, and were soon joined by Alix, who shivered as she kicked her legs about to get some of the wetness off, which was quite silly to do, but hey, she was young.

Ladybug smiled along with Chat Noir, feeling the tension in their chests easing. They weren't going to let their guards down, but they couldn't help but feel this would end in a similar case to all the battles they fought in the past. Hopefully everyone would be alright and the villains would be defeated in no time.

But the relieving moment was ruined when Hawk Moth's voice came over the intercom.

"The Riddler has gone to make himself some tea to calm himself down, because right now he's turned as red as a tomato." he said in an almost bored tone, probably disappointed with the fact he couldn't akumatise the riddle obsessed man.

"Tell us who's next, birdbrain!" Chat Noir demanded, scowling at the ceiling.

"There are only two students left my dear Miraculuers and Justice Leaguer. You may be familair with them, especially since one of them is responsible for so many of my akumatizations..." Hawk Moth purred sinisterly.

Ladybug and Cat Noir nodded. They knew exactly what he was on about and who those two people were.

"It's Chloe and Sabrina..." they both muttered.

"Chloe...isn't she the mayor's daughter?" Batman murmured. He had heard about Andre Bourgeois and the fact he had a daughter.

"She is and out of all the people the Riddler's kidnapped, she's the one person where I wouldn't mind just letting her get chopped to pieces or something." Ladybug sighed, "But even Chloe doesn't deserve something like that. Besides, maybe rescuing her from death like this might turn her around and make her a better person." she suggested.

"She better be grateful for it." Cat Noir sighed, "Well, let's get saving her and Sabrina!"

"And with those two safe, the Riddler will be mine for the picking..." Batman growled. He had seen enough children in danger. He wasn't going to let The Riddler get away with such heinous acts of villainy like this. His terror was ending tonight!

Exiting the room, the gathered group made their way towards the last door at the end of the hallway to their right, with Batman leading the way. From what he can observe, this door was plain and simple, with the letters "C" and "S" drawn on them in crayon. Either the Riddler ran out of tech or, if Hawk Moth was with him, chances are he brought the Joker along and had him finish the touches to the door.

Seeing that there was nothing to prove this door was rigged with a deadly trap, Batman stretched out his hand and gripped the doorknob, twisted it to the right, and pushed it open with a calm push. Leading the way in, he almost felt sick with what he and the rest of the youngsters ended up seeing: sitting there was Chloe and Sabrina, on a pair of wooden chairs, on a wooden decking, and a bunch of wires wrapped around them, and attached to metal crocodile snappers that clipped onto their clothes. Both girls were quite frightened, with Sabrina sniffling as two tears streamed down her face, while Chloe was visibly shaking like mad. Ladybug, Chat Noir honestly couldn't help but feel bad for both of them. Usually it was Sabrina they pitied more out of the two, but in this case neither of them should be here.

Interestingly, though, there was a TV camera in front of them, connected to some sort of box on the wall behind it, making the vigilante and the youngsters turn to see it from Chloe and Sabrina's viewpoints. That was then the Riddler's voice returned, sounding a little more chirpier after having that coffee.

"Well, considering this is the big finale, and these two girls are the daughters of two important figures in all of Paris, I felt it would only be fun to tap into the news cameras and broadcast this live across the country!" he chuckled.

The casual tone of The Riddler's voice made Batman seethe with rage. How could anybody, mad or not, possibly imprison two helpless children, show their terror off to the world and be so non-chalant about it?! Why did mankind have to have so many demons?! Ladybug clenched her fists, her masked features curled into a hardcore scowl of hatred.

"It's bad enough that you put these innocent people through hell just so you can have fun but now you're making their terror PUBLIC?! Do you even have a conscience?!" Ladybug cried out angrily.

"I did once. I stepped on him like a cricket and pretended he never existed." The Riddler sneered.

"So what's the final game then Nygma?" Batman demanded.

"As you can see, Chloe and Sabrina are fastened to a couple of chairs each and those crocodile pincers on their clothes aren't there for nothing." The Riddler purred, "You have to answer my next question correctly. Every wrong answer you give will give them an electric shock that gets worse the more you get it wrong! So you better have your thinking caps on or you're gonna be making some powerful fathers VERY upset..."

He paused, as if for effect, and then he gave out the final question.

"Riddle me this. What belongs to you, but others use it more than you do?" he asked.

Batman just sniffed as if the question was too easy for a final one.

"Simple. Your name." he replied, "You told that one before Riddler."

Ladybug and Cat Noir looked at each other suspiciously. That was odd. Why did The Riddler tell a riddle Batman had already been told before? Was the question MEANT to be easy to answer? Even Batman began to wonder if there was more to this than met the eye. The Riddler wanted to make things harder for his enemies so they couldn't beat him at his own games so why had the final question been so easy? The Riddler laughed sheepishly, as if realizing his mistake.

"Well...talk about a fail there." he said, sounding embarrassed, "Yes, that is correct. You have saved the last two children." he said dismissively, "Congrats as always."

With that said, Batman walked up to the two captive girls and removed the crocodile pincers from their clothes. Then he used a Batarang to cut them free from the chairs. Sabrina leapt up and embraced Batman graciously whereas Chloe didn't look pleased. She just scoffed as if the whole thing was an inconvenience to her.

"Seriously Bat-brains, what took you so long?!" she snapped, "Why did you rescue me last?! Do you have any idea how terrified I was?! Ugh, ridiculous! Utterly ridiculous, left to worry my ass off next to my snivelling best friend! The idea!"

"You're welcome." Batman muttered bitterly.

"Ungh, whatever! I can't see why daddy was so keen to meet you! You're a joke compared to Ladybug and Cat Noir! They would've saved me much quicker!" Chloe scoffed, "Well once I find my phone, I'm gonna call daddy to get me outta here and throw this Riddler dork in jail!"

"Who said you needed to find your phones?" The Riddler purred sinisterly.

As he said that, a green light switched on, illuminating that appeared to be a standard cardboard box sitting near the wall. Everybody ran up to it, wondering what was in the box. Surprisingly...it was every rescued teen's phone! That made the three heroes hesitate for a moment. Why steal their phones and just give them back like this? There had to be something going on! The students all took back their phones, each one accurately identifying his or her own phone, but as they took them, the camera trained on them all and The Riddler's evil voice rang out again like a bad nightmare.

"Now time for the REAL final question. What begins with a call...and ends with a BANG...?" he asked cryptically.

Batman suddenly realized what was going on. The Riddler had been TRICKING him! He had made the final question deliberately easy because it wasn't the real final question! This was! And he knew exactly what this question was hinting at. The phones must be booby-trapped or something! He acted before he had even fully come to the conclusion.

"Everybody, whatever you do, DON'T switch on your phones or answer them!" Batman cried out, "The Riddler's indicating that one of them's got a bomb inside! If you switch it on, you'll just kill yourselves!"

The teens all looked at their phones in fright, wondering if the Riddler had indeed bugged any of them and rigged them to blow. They didn't dare do anything. But Chloe seemed dismissive, snorting rudely.

"Seriously dweebs, you actually believe this crazy man for a minute?" she scoffed, "There's no way this Riddler lame-o has rigged our phones to blow! I'm gonna prove it to you all now!"

"NO!" Ladybug shrieked fearfully.

Chloe ignored her and switched on her phone. Ladybug ran forward, trying to snatch it away but Chloe jumped back and ran over into a corner, dialling a number. The phone was on but nothing happened, making everybody wonder if Batman had overreacted. Chloe finished dialling and put the phone to her ear eagerly.

"Daddy..."

She never got any further than her last ever spoken word. The phone suddenly exploded directly next to Chloe's head, tearing her ear off and ripping through half of her head. Chloe was dead before she even realized what had just happened. All that was left of her was a body with only half a head, and a thick trail of smoke drifting up from it. Thick splodges of blood painted the walls behind her and chunks of her brain lay on the floor. The explosion had ravaged her and left her an ugly, gruesome sight, keeling over dead onto the floor. Chloe lay on her side, smoke still drifting from her head, and lay still. Everybody stared in horror at what had just happened. This was the most gruesome, grotesque thing they had ever witnessed. Rose fainted, falling into Juleka's arms, Kim clasped a hand over his mouth to stop himself puking, Ivan pulled Mylène close to him and Lila clasped her hands over her mouth. Nobody looked more shocked than Ladybug and Cat Noir. They had never witnessed a death on their hands and the whole experience was sweeping over them like a terrible wave. Ladybug went white in the face, looking as if she was about to faint.

"Oh my god!" she whispered hoarsely.

"Her phone just exploded!" Cat Noir gasped.

Batman looked equally as shocked, his nerves tingling and his emotions beginning to build up, waiting to explode violently. He'd come so close! SO CLOSE to saving everybody! Why did he have to fail at the last hurdle?!

"Well! Ha, ha, ha, ha! Looks like Chloe is the one with the REAL bomb in her phone!" The Riddler taunted, clearly delighted to have beaten his opponents at last, "Nobody could've worked that out, could they? Looks like that I, The Riddler, have proven that I am better than you at last Dark Knight!"

As if to rub salt further into the wounds that had opened in everyone, they suddenly heard the sound any person of authority would ever have to hear...they could hear the voice of Mayor Bourgeois from a TV the Riddler obviously had plugged in from where he was in the safe house. His voice was broken of hope, filled with dread and sadness.

"Ch-Chloe!? My d-daughter! No! OH MY GOD NOOO! TH-THEY KILLED HER! THEY BLASTED HER BRAINS OFF! YOU, YOU BASTARDS! Y-YOU MURDERERS! MY GIRL! M-MY BABY GIRL!" the TV's sound was then abruptly cut off, allowing the entire reality of the situation to sink in for them all...someone had lost their child, and that someone was their mayor.

All of the anger towards Andre had died, along with the anger they all once held towards Chloe. Yes, Andre was an attention seeking mayor, but NO ONE should ever lose their child to such a gruesome and cruel murder. Not even Chloe, stuck up, bratty Chloe Bourgeois deserved that. She still had her whole life ahead of her...she could've turned around for the better...and that young light was blown out in the small hours it was lit.

Chat Noir had gone numb along with Sabrina. Yes, they both couldn't stand Chloe...but she was still a child in this situation. Every layer of sour feeling Chloe left behind was slowly getting peeled away from their memories until one last later remained. The layer that was first laid when they both first met her back in their toddler years...she was their friend. She was once an innocent, sweet little darling like every child was, before her position corrupted her...she was the only friend Adrien ever had before he made that desperate rush for school...she was once like him...so innocent in such a dangerous world...and in a way she still was.

Batman had been trying to ease the rising temperature of his body, almost feeling his veins increasing inside of him. Never in such a long time, about eight years, had he witnessed the death of a child, or a child's body...not since-

"She's most sincerely dead, wouldn't you say, Bats!?" that made him freeze to his feet. T

hat voice of cruelty and laughter stitched into one. The voice that made the freed captives shiver and cower in fear. Probably the voice that they didn't want to hear along with Hawk Moth's...the Joker's. His horrible laughter echoed throughout the room like he was a haunting ghost. He had seen everything...and he only had the right set of words for the moment from his side of things.

"I guess Jason will be having dome company in the afterlife, eh Bats!? Jason won't be so lonely now, will he!? HAHAHA! As I graffitied on his body, the joke is on you, Batman! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

* * *

 _ **I bet everybody reading this is dancing for joy over Chloe's death. I know I am! :D**_

 ** _So has The Riddler truly won? Will Hawk Moth and The Joker get what they want? Is it all...over? Maybe the next chapter will answer your questions..._**


	10. Chapter 9: The Last Captive

**Chapter 9: The Last Captive**

"Yeeeesss..." Hawk Moth purred triumphantly as he watched what was happening on the Riddler's computer screens, "Feel all that negative emotions, it's like a warm, pleasant sensation through my bloodstream. Embrace the emotions Dark Knight, and then you'll be mine!"

He, The Joker and The Riddler couldn't have been more pleased with how their plan was turning out. It was rather unfortunate that Batman, Ladybug and Cat Noir had managed to get through the riddles rather easily and save everybody but that had quickly turned in their favour when The Riddler had released his final challenge. It had seen Chloe Bourgeois dial a number on her phone and then the phone had exploded thanks to being rigged with a bomb. It had been directly next to the girl's ear as it had gone off, killing her instantly. Ladybug and Cat Noir looked unable to believe what was happening, the two having never witnessed an actual death before. The captives they had rescued all looked disgusted, scared or angry and Batman seemed to be the worst off, looking as if he had witnessed Jason Todd's death all over again. It wasn't helped by the fact Chloe was only a teenager.

But the biggest sin of all was that Batman had come so close to saving everybody. It was the feeling of failing at the last hurdle that was crushing him inside. How could he have let Paris's heroes down like this?! Why did The Riddler have to come to Paris and start this whole nightmare?! It seemed very unfair and now Paris was suffering for something it should never have had to endure.

The three villains watched on the screen as the heroes approached Chloe's very dead body, smoke still drifting up from what was left of her head. It was an ugly sight and the teen heroes knew full well that they would never forget it.

"I'd hoped never to find out what it's like to have an actual death on your watch..." Ladybug said grimly. She sounded very far away, almost lost in a sea of despair.

"It's the most horrible thing I've ever experienced!" Cat Noir cried, "Chloe may well have been, well, not the nicest person in the world but I didn't ever wish doom on her!"

"Nobody deserves to be wasted so callously...not like this." Batman growled, his blood boiling as rage continued to build up.

"What about that healing wave thingy you do?" Kim asked suddenly, "Couldn't you just do that "Miraculous Ladybug" thing and like, bring her back or something?"

"I can fix and repair damages with my power but I can't raise the dead." Ladybug said, feeling bad about having to pour salt on this very open wound, "I'm sorry everybody but Chloe's dead, that's the sad truth we have to live with and we can't do anything about it."

"I doubt even a Lazarus Pit could revive her..." Batman muttered, thinking about his old enemy, Ra's Al Ghul and his miracle pool that allowed him to return to a youthful stage whenever he stepped in it. It would be nice if he could bring the dead teenager to Ra's and have him use the pit to revive her but even the Lazarus Pit had its limits. There was no fixing this death, no matter how much people may want to undo it.

What's even worse was that the death had been witnessed all over Paris. Poor Mayor Bourgeois had witnessed his daughter get blown partially to kingdom come. And now the French mayor was on his knees in the hotel's lobby, holding his head shakily as he just tried to comprehend the horrendous scene he and his people witnessed. For the first time he was crying not because a selfish, greedy plan of his failed, but because his single, young daughter was dead. Captain Roger might've been relieved his own daughter was safe, but he had never bare witness to a death on his watch on the police force. Then there was Tom and Sabine, looking on in devastation at the collapsed, defeated old man, all the feelings of negativity towards the man now gone and replaced with sympathy. No one should ever lose their child, either to abduction, or to death. Not even the buffoon of a man the mayor himself was deserved such a horrible punishment.

"NO! NO! Oh my god please know...AGHHHHHHHH!" Andre sobbed as he covered his old eyes with his trembling hands, his body partially curled up as he fell forward onto the floor, his tears soaking in with the rich red rug of his home. The home of his daughter, who should've been kept safe in the hotel. But tonight death had claimed her in the most horrific of ways, and there was now bringing her back. Not now. Not ever.

Captain Roger was almost numbed to the core, a mixture of fear and anger inside of him. He could only hope that the Riddler wasn't going to play dirty and take another child's life...but that was when a burning fire began to rise in the police captain. His daughter and her friends were still in danger, and they had just witnessed a horrendous death. Right now he himself wasn't so sure if Ladybug, Chat Noir or Batman would be any good in protecting the children. It was time for the police to take some action. They couldn't just stand back and do nothing! Scowling in determination, he pulled his cap downwards a bit, he turned to the two armed officers by the lobby doors, getting out his phone.

"Are either you two good at tracking phone signals?" he asked in a surprisingly sharp tone.

The shorter of the officers nodded, "Yes sir, hand it here." he replied, knowing very well what his commanding officer was asking for.

"Good. Trace my daughter's phone to her current location. We need to get the kids out of that hell pit right now, you understand!?" came the fierce response of the captain, getting a nod off the officer as he took the phone off him.

Tom and Sabine went over to him.

"What about Marinette? She's not at home and could be held captive too!" the latter cried out in terror.

"And there's Adrien." Nathalie added worriedly as she and the Gorilla came over to him.

"And that red headed boy, what was his name...Nathanael, that's it, they're still missing." Roger acknowledged to himself as he took all this in before turning to the frightened parents and guardians

"I need you to stay here and keep an eye on the mayor. I promise you that we'll find your children and keep them out of harm's way." he instructed them, earning curt nods in response

"We'll do that. Go and get those kids Captain Roger!" Tom replied, giving him a sharp look, getting a salute off the cop in response.

"You have my word, Mr Dupain-Cheng. Officers, let's move!" he yelled as he turned to the other two officers, heading out with them.

Andre shook and shivered as the worried parents and guardians came over to him, uttering something that, for the first time ever, was genuine concern for something other than him.

"Those children...those poor children. May they not have a horrible fate like Chloe..." he whispered as tears continued to cascade down his tired and upset face.

Back in the safe house, Hawk Moth couldn't be more happier than seeing Batman's very hard form shaking like mad. What a wonderful sight it was, seeing him so defeated and full of rage.

"How it fills my heart with glee to see a member of the Justice League, defeated and grieving and falling victim to his emotions. My akuma can take him over at last!" the masked man cackled gleefully.

"Between you and me Ed, I'm surprise he even HAS a heart!" The Joker snickered.

The Riddler may have found the Joker annoying, but even he couldn't help smiling at the joke. He looked over his shoulder as Hawk Moth held out his hand and a butterfly landed in it. He covered it with his other hand and like always, corrupted the beautiful insect with his dark magic, turning it black and purple and making it an instrument of evil. The puzzlemaster whistled, impressed with what he'd seen.

"So that's your power...impressive." he murmured.

Hawk Moth nodded and held his hand out, allowing the akuma to fly away.

"Fly away my little akuma, and akumatize Batman!" he cried happily, slamming his cane on the floor.

"Boy will it be fun to have Batman on our side at last! Ah, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!" The Joker cackled gleefully, watching the akuma leave the room in search of Batman.

With where they were, the freed children were now getting overwhelmed by a lot if fear, especially Rose, who's big eyes went wider than usual.

"L-Ladybug!? Wh-what if there's a big bomb beneath this building!?" she exclaimed, panic clearly overcoming her.

"That's it! That's it! We're all done for, I should've known!" Max cried, pulling his hair in a mad fit.

"Oh my god, why did it have to come to this!?" Kim cried, banging his head against the wall in defeat, making Ladybug look over to them in in worry. She was usually good in some hostage situations, but given what just happened she was going to have to kick things up a notch. She turned to Chat Noir and gotten hold of his arm, drawing him away from Chloe's dead body, getting him to look at her.

"Chat, I need you to talk to Batman and see what we do next." she instructed firmly, clearly trying to keep her cool without glancing over at the gory spot behind her feline accomplice, who still looked shaken up.

"Wha? Y-Yes, I'll try. What about you?" he stuttered, trying to hide the panic in his voice.

"I'll calm the kids down, they're panicking" she replied, though she almost sounded unsure herself, not sure if she'd succeed in that task.

"I'll d-do my best." Chat responded, breaking away from Ladybug to go over to Batman, who was now leaning against the wall nearest to him, a look of dread on his face as he stared at what was left of Chloe. Chat Noir gotten in front of Batman and took him by the arm.

"Batman? L-Listen, I've...I've never seen stuff like this before...so, what are we to do?" Chat nervously asked him, trying to fight off the iron stench of blood the body behind him was giving off.

But it seemed like Batman wasn't listening, almost as if he was daydreaming, with his white eyes turned upside down into a sad look.

"Jasmmm..." he mumbled, making Chat frown in confusion.

"Wha? What are you saying?" he asked.

In response, to Chat's utter surprise and horror, Batman collapsed to his knees once more, though this time he was on his hands, staring at the floor with a sickening look of despair of his face. Panic pounding in his heart, Chat crouched beside the fallen Dark Knight, lopping his arm around his back to try and support him up, but the vigilante wouldn't budge.

"B-Batman!? Say something! C'mon!" Chat begged in desperation.

Batman couldn't hear anything but laughter. Sickening twisted laughter of the Joker ringing in his ears and the iconic grin of his arch nemesis embedded in his mind, with two beaten and bloodied bodies laying below the grin, one completely bruised and sprayed in graffiti, the other in a bloodied state and wearing what was left of her yellow and white clothes. These were the bodies of Jason Todd and Chloe Bourgeois, two young teenagers he had failed to save from the cold clutches of death.

As Batman stared on in despair, Ladybug was trying to calm down her panicking friends, having to raise her voice to be heard out "Guys, listen! Please, I need you all to calm down!" she yelled, managing to silence a few screamers. They all looked to Ladybug with worried looks plastered on their faces.

"Guys...I know how your feeling, I really do. Right now I'm as scared as you are. But you've got to keep calm. For yourselves, for your family, and for Chloe." she said, her tone dropping to a sadder one as she mentioned the girl. The frightened kids nodded, trying to ease the tension in their bodies. Ladybug was right: panicking wasn't going to get the situation any better, so right now they had to do their best in keeping calm if they were to survive the rest of the evening.

It was then a sudden realisation came over Alya. Pushing steadily past her friends, she headed over to Ladybug, who looked to her in concern.

"What is it, Alya?" she asked with deep worry.

"Not all of us are here, there's one more!" Alya replied, leaving Ladybug shocked with her eyes wide. Her heart leaping with hope, she gripped Alya's shoulders like tomorrow wasn't coming.

"Wh-Who? Who is it?" she asked in desperation.

As this happened, a haunting devilish Akuma fluttered it's way into the room, it's magic hungry to corrupt a certain vigilante's soul in the room. It loomed in the air, waiting to swoop down towards Batman.

"It's Nathanel!" Alya cried, "It just occurred to me he's not here!"

Ladybug gasped. Yes, the red-haired boy who loved to draw! It had just occurred to her that he wasn't here too! They still hadn't quite saved everybody yet!

"So that means The Riddler's still got one of us locked up somewhere!" Sabrina shrieked, putting her hands to her face in horror.

"We've gotta find him or the dude could be drawing his last sketch!" Nino exclaimed.

As the akuma approached Batman, the Gotham vigilante's head suddenly shot up as he took in what he was hearing. There was still another child to save? It was still possible that this rescue mission wouldn't end on such a grisly note after all! As Batman stood up, he could feel himself beginning to brighten up, the anger in his bloodstream dissipating. What was there now was nothing more than determination. Determination to save the last child. And that was what, unknown to Batman, had just saved him from an akumatization. The akuma was forced to flee for Batman's negative emotions weren't strong enough to corrupt anymore. Batman no longer had sadness and grief on his face, just fierce determination to locate Nathanel. Cat Noir noticed this with curiosity in his eyes.

"Hey Batman, what is it?" he asked.

"The teens have said there's one more." Batman said, "We can make sure Chloe's death wasn't in vain and save that last child. What's his name again?"

"Nathanel." Ladybug explained, "He's a slender boy with red hair and he loves to draw. We didn't save him from any Riddler traps so he could still be somewhere in this building! Of course, maybe he didn't get kidnapped at all but given The Riddler got everybody else, I'm willing to bet Nathanel's here too."

"We're going to find him. Not one more child is gonna die tonight..." Batman growled, determination in his voice.

Lila then came out of the small crowd of frightened classmates, getting hold of her phone.

"W-Wait, his phone isn't here with us. He probably still has his so we can probably trace it" she said as she gotten his number up. Nodding, Batman joined the Italian girl's side.

"Read it to me and I'll put it in on the tracer." he said as he gotten his handheld map pad out.

As Lila read out Nathanael's number to him, from where they were, Riddler and Hawk Moth were shocked beyond belief what they just witnessed, while the Joker didn't look exactly that bothered. Instead he just smirked as he laid back a bit in the chair and stretched his arms out like he was a lazy lounger.

"Ah well, can't beat a detective all the time, hey boys?" he chuckled, earning a glare from Hawk Moth.

"You think this is a laughing matter!? He just resisted one of my akumas!" he yelled as the demonic butterfly returned to the room.

"Thanks for saying that, captain obvious. But what do you expect? It's Batman! Honestly you should go to a geek school and do some superhero research!" the Joker madly exclaimed, not really bothered about the predicament they were in.

The Riddler was seething with rage, so much that Hawk Moth had to call back his akuma from akumatising him. As much as the Riddler was a pawn in all this for him, Hawk Moth couldn't risk making him his slave just yet.

"Those little bird brained buffoons! They worked out the silent riddle! The riddle they shouldn't have been able to pick up on! They'll be going after Nathanael in a matter of seconds!" he yelled angrily, banging his head on the desk in front of him.

Feeling he saw enough of the Riddler beating himself up, Hawk Moth dragged him back by the shoulder.

"Where is he being held now?" he sharply asked, bringing the question mark obsessed villain back to reality a little more.

"I've hidden him in an old cellar that connects to an old sewer away from the canal. I was going to have the boy watch all this and lose faith in the heroes!" he yelled in response, earning a clap from the Joker.

"Now Scarecrow would've loved to have been part of this! Why didn't we get him on board in the first place!?" he madly yelled like the frightening moron that he was, earning cringes from Hawk Moth and Riddler, the former of whom pulled out a paper and pen from his suit jacket and began to write down on it.

"Listen, you go and get the boy! Once you've got him, get your men to take him to this address!" he fiercely instructed, putting it into the face of the Riddler, who frowned.

"Why don't you just teleport us there?" he asked in a dumb tone, earning the paper being shoved into his hand.

"Because I only have enough energy for one more teleport, I don't know exactly where the cellar holding the boy is, and I'm running low on power as we speak!" Hawk Moth explained, grabbing the Riddler by his jacket and shoving him into the front door, denting it slightly.

"Ow! Oh alright you iron masked lunatic, I'll do just that!" the Riddler childishly yelled back, nearly popping a blood vessel in his forehead as he straightened his hat, before storming out of the front door like he was a woman that had just divorced her husband.

Joker smirked as he stood beside Hawk Moth.

"Heh, something tells me he hasn't taken his medication." he teased, earning a sigh from his fellow man in purple.

"Ugh, we'll have to leave now. For all we know Batman or the police could walk on on us any minute." he hissed as he placed his left hand on the Joker's shoulder as the pair of them began to glow a lighter shade of purple.

"Ooooh, cannot wait for this!" the Joker giggled madly. A short two seconds later, the pair of them vanished in a bright flash of purple and violet, leaving the main room of the safe house nearly spotless.

Meanwhile, Batman had put in Nathanel's phone number into his map pad and he waited as the small handheld machine began searching for the where abouts of this phone number. He fell silent as he waited for the phone to be traced and Nathanel's location to be revealed. Once that was done, he would be on his way in no time. The Riddler wasn't claiming another life, not tonight! Ladybug and Cat Noir watched with baited breath as Batman's handheld pad did its work.

"Please be OK, please be OK..." the red and black girl murmured to herself.

The pad than bleeped suddenly, indicating it had just finished its work. Batman glanced at the screen, reading the coordinates so quickly that it looked as if he hadn't even read them at all, before looking up again.

"I've found him. He's in a cellar that connects to a sewer away from the canal." the Dark Knight announced, "I'm going there now. I'll bring him back to you all." he vowed.

Ladybug gripped his arm, stopping him from going anywhere.

"Wait, don't you want me or Chat to go with you while one of us stays here?" she asked with deep concern in her voice.

"No. The children here need you two. I'm not letting Nathanael die tonight, especially at the hands of the Riddler. He's my responsibility and he's brought enough terror to your city."

Batman responded in a firm tone, though he certainly seemed eager to get moving to rescue the trapped teenage boy. Sighing, Ladybug stepped back and gave him a nod.

"Go get him and be careful." she replied.

Giving her a nod, Batman kicked down the door opposite him and the others, leading to a small flight of old stairs. He dashed up the stairs as quickly as he could, launching another rocket like kick ahead of him to bring down the door in front of him. Bolting off of its hinges, the door collapsed partially on two, where Batman found himself in the main base of operations the Riddler, Hawk Moth and Joker had been using. Not wanting to waste anymore time, the bat styled vigilante kicked down the last door that brought him outside, where he gave another look at his map pad, which he strapped to his left arm. He saw his personal marker was two blocks away from the bridge he need to cross to get to the sewer line to reach Nathanael's location.

With that seen to, Batman drew out his grappling gun and fired it at the highest building ledge opposite him. With it hitting the ledge, he zipped away at a great speed, just leaving the area in time as Captain Roger and the rest of the French police force zoomed in on the safe house. Ladybug and Cat Noir heard the sounds of sirens outside, their faces brightening up a little as they knew that the rescued captives would be safe at last.

"The cops, they're here!" Ladybug cried out happily.

"Come on guys, let's leave this hell hole!" Cat Noir cried, "You'll all be safe when we get you down to the cops!"

The schoolchildren didn't wait to be asked twice. They all filed out of the room with the two French heroes leading ahead. Every step they took filled them with glee for they were putting the grisly sight of Chloe's body and the horrors of the safehouse behind them at last.

"I really hope Batman rescues Nathanel..." Ladybug said worriedly, glancing at Cat Noir.

"He won't let us down, not like this m'lady! He'll do it, you know he will!" Cat Noir cried enthusiastically.

They soon exited the safe house and found themselves back out in the tatty car park that the police vehicles were filling with, the sirens and flashing lights filling the sound and surroundings of the area. Sabrina bolted ahead crying as she saw her father, Captain Roger, come out of the nearest police van.

"Daddy, daddy!" she cried as if the world was about to shatter in any second. The large officer smiled tearfully as he embraced his young daughter, collapsing to his knees as he did so.

"Oh Sabrina! Are you hurt? Did that man touch you anywhere he shouldn't have?" he exclaimed, getting a shake of the head from his young daughter.

"No daddy, no...but Chloe's dead daddy! I-It was so horrible!" she sobbed loudly as she buried her face into his shoulder, still traumatised by what she had witnessed. Captain Roger closed his eyes and gave a grim nod of acknowledgement. He knew very well he and his officers would have to ready a body bag and he wasn't looking forward to it.

Scooping his young girl into his arms, Captain Roger made his way over to Ladybug and Chat Noir as the rest of the freed classmates were getting tended to by the police.

"I can't thank you two enough for saving my daughter." he said gratefully, earning a sad nod from Chat Noir.

"Yeah...if only the same could be said for Chloe" he said sadly, getting a comforting rub of the shoulder from Ladybug.

"Where's Batman?" Captain Roger asked with a frown, realising the Dark Knight was nowhere to be found.

"He's gone to rescue Nathanael. He's being held at another location." Ladybug confirmed for him.

"Then where's Marinette and Adrien being held then?" he asked sharply, making Ladybug's and Chat's eyes to widen in surprise. They hadn't expected the police to catch on so sharply, given their alter egos were rarely kept as captives in these situations.

Thankfully, Nino overheard the presented question, so he called over to them.

"They weren't kidnapped with us, so I think the dude and dudette could be at their homes!" he called, earning mental gasps of relief from the two young superheroes, but Captain Roger didn't seem that convinced.

"I don't know. It's been pretty dangerous lately, they could be held somewhere else" he noted with a pair of hard eyes burrowed into a thoughtful frown.

Seeing this made the two heroes act quickly on their feet. "We'll go and look in on their homes. I mean, we tend to visit them sometimes, and, no offence, but we're a lot faster. We'll call back and tell you" Ladybug responded in a firm tone, before grabbing hold of Chat's hand, leading him away from the top cop.

"I'll go to Adrien's, you know where Marinette's is." Ladybug instructed, only for Chat to get in her way.

"No, M'Lady. You're a lot faster than me, so you should go to Marinette's. You can cover those buildings a lot faster than I can with that yoyo of yours." he said quickly, leaving the dotted hero surprised beyond belief.

Before she could get another word in, Chat extended the length of his bo-staff and sprung into the air, disappearing into the night sky like a bullet. Ladybug frowned but realised this could actually help her out. She could go back to her home and call both her parents and the police to tell them she was alright. She just hoped Chat would find Adrien safe and sound at home. She just honestly didn't know Chat had the exact same plan.

"After I make a quick trip home, I'll call Chat and tell him to meet on the other side of the bridge. Batman might be there." she quietly said to herself as she drew out her yoyo, shooting it upwards at a nearby street lamp and swung off to home.

* * *

Meanwhile, the Riddler was nearly out of breath as he was running on the sidewalk of the canal bridge, his face red with exhaustion.

"I...can't...believe...that I'm...here right now...doing what some clown...in a mask and suit tells me!" he panted, "I'm in charge...of this operation, I should...be giving...the orders!"

It made him livid just thinking about it. Nobody gave him orders, he was the one meant to give people orders! He would sort Hawk Moth out when he was finished with Nathanel, maybe even deal with The Joker too. Those two had no right barging into his business anyway.

"I'd love to put those two in a death trap that'll finish them off..." he said to himself, walking on across the bridge.

He was just thankful not one if the drivers passing across the bridge took a slight bit of notice of him, leaving the Riddler quite relieved. That and it was dark, so it was helpful for him to keep moving without getting noticed too much. As he neared the end of the bridge, though, his skin shivered as a familiar, deep and fierce voice filled the night air.

"RIDDLER!" came the roar, leaving him rooted to the ground in utter fear.

Turning on his heels very slowly, his eyes widened as he saw the all too familiar giant, dark figure standing just opposite him across the bridge. His sweat dripping like mad, the Riddler observed that while Batman still seemed as calm and stoic as ever, there was a silent rage in him this time. Something told the Riddler that the Dark Knight was going to give him the most nastiest and most brutal beating of his life. And the very thought of his overly intelligent brain getting beaten around like a punchbag filled the Riddler with utter fright.

"AHHH SHIT!" he let out a girly like scream as he bolted down the steps that would lead him to the sewage gate he needed to get to.

As he reached the bottom step, he looked to the other side of the bridge and saw that Batman was gone like the wind. A thud of boots against a concrete wall drew his attention, making the green suited man look behind him to see that Batman was now at the top of the stairs. His eyes bulging out of his head in utter fright, the Riddler picked up his speed, jumping over a metallic block in his way and dashed down the next flight of steps, which led directly to the old and abandoned sewage gates. Remembering correctly which one it was thanks to his big brain, the Riddler gotten out a key and slammed it into the padlock, twisting the key and staggered inside, swinging on his feet and slamming it shut, locking the gate just in time. Just in time to find Batman standing opposite him with silent fury on his masked features.

Defiantly, the Riddler smirked as he pocketed his key into his suit jacket.

"Like to see how you'll get through that!" he laughed as he turned and fled into the darkness of the underground passage.

Now normally you'd think Batman would throw an explosive Batarang onto the lock and continued the chase. But he knew Nathanael was in there, and he was most likely being held at gunpoint or had a bomb strapped to him. If he were to take the direct approach, Nathanael would be dead. He had to make a more surprise approach. Glancing down at his map pad, Batman found his eyes trailing upwards to the back of a French public house. A triumphant smirk crossed his face as he saw there was a manhole right behind it on his map...

"Be ready! Keep your guns aimed that way and that way, from both left and right! I don't care if you were conceived or born yesterday, just make sure you kill him!" The Riddler ordered as he dashed passed his armed henchmen, going towards the room at the other end of the passageway he had Nathanael in.

He took the key out of his pocket and inserted it into the door. He unlocked it and opened it, walking into what was essentially an old wine cellar. A long time ago, this cellar would've been full of wine bottles ready for parties and special occasions for the owners of the house to host. Now the cellar was empty, not even so much as a drop of wine in sight. The only thing the room contained was The Riddler's final captive, Nathanel. He had been sitting on the floor, completely bored out of his mind with nothing to do and now The Riddler was coming into the room for some reason. That made him sit up and wonder what was going on and why the Riddler was here. Did he need him for something now?

The Riddler marched up to the young artist and yanked him up onto his feet by tugging on his arm.

"Hey, don't pull me like that!" Nathanel growled.

"Watch your tone you little shit..." the cluemaster snarled, "Batman's here and you're going to help me bring him down. Try anything stupid and you're history! I hope you're mentally strong enough to understand that!"

The young French teen gasped in surprise. Batman was coming to rescue him? That already made things better and meant things were looking up but The Riddler was going to use him to bring him down! He had a keen idea on what the green-clad man had in mind. He didn't want to be used as a hostage and so he yanked his arm out of The Riddler's grip.

"Stuff that, I'm not gonna be bait to bring him down!" Nathanel snapped, "Get another hostage cause you're not using me!"

"I knew you'd be too stupid to comprehend anything..." The Riddler sighed, reaching into his tuxedo pocket.

He proceeded to pull out a rather odd looking revolver pistol. Its handle was shaped like a question mark, which was green, while the barrel itself was gold, making Nathanael's skin shiver. He was now hoping like mad Batman would show up and take care of this looney before he makes short work of him. The Riddler pulled out a gold bullet from his pocket and loaded it into the firing spot.

"When Batman does get here, he's going to find the brains of a young chimp splattered across the floor, and the Bat will fall into the depths of despair again. And then I will have bested him at last!" he said in a shivering voice as he tried to control his nerves.

Edward never really used firearms that much, only when he felt it was needed. He honestly didn't care that he was going to kill a teenager, as far as he was concerned he was putting a chimp out of its misery for failing a single Maths test.

Suppressing a gulp, Nathanael trailed his eyes up at the gun as it clicked, locking the bullet in place. Time slowed down horrifically slowly and the colour of the room began to fade into nothingness as Nathanael began to mentally countdown the last seconds of his life...

CRASH!

The Riddler jumped in surprise and squealed as the other door that connected to the room from the back exploded open, shooting through the air and slamming on the floor with a deafening crack. Nathanael gasped and jumped back out of fright as an all too familiar dark and huge figure leapt into the room, silent but ready to unleash its fury like a bull.

The Riddler's eyes widened for a split second before he cried out angrily and went to fire away at the Dark Knight, who merely grabbed his gun hand and yanked it to his own left, making the Riddler fire it into the corner of the room. In a split second the crack of Edward's leg bone echoed through the air as Batman launched a vicious kick into his shin, breaking his leg and bringing him down onto one knee, screaming in agony. Nathanael could only watch on in fear and awe as Batman finished his attack by delivering a hard punch to the Riddler's face, the crack and explosion of his nose following as he crashed onto the floor behind him, deeply knocked out.

With that done, Batman glanced to his right and a flash of warmth crossed his deeply buried heart. Nathanael was alive! He gotten to him in time! He did it! Just seeing the boy standing there in one piece left the Caped Crusader relieved beyond belief, pleased that he managed to save another child's life. He was thankful that manhole behind the pub led him straight to the door of the room.

But relief was cut short as machine gun fire came from outside the other door, indicating the other five henchmen were on their way. Heavily armed by the sounds of it. Not a problem for Batman, but too risky for Nathanael. Knowing very well what to do, Batman drew out a gas grenade from his utility belt, looking at Nathanael once more.

"Get into that passageway I came through, go!" he ordered fiercely like a commander to a soldier. Nathanael didn't need to be told twice, dashing through the damaged doorway Batman came through moments earlier to find cover.

Batman turned his attention back towards the new threat coming his way. He clutched the gas grenade, almost as if his life depended on it. In a sense, it did for it would stop several men gunning him down when he threw it. He waited until the armed guards filed into the room, their weapons all trained on him as they took sight of him. They also saw that their master was unconscious. Deep inside, they were glad to see The Riddler down on the floor but they still had to maintain their loyalty to him, otherwise they wouldn't get paid.

"It's the Batman! Shoot to kill!" yelled one guard as he primed his gun.

Batman just calmly threw the grenade at them, letting out clouds of gaseous smoke as it rolled across the floor. The guards all stepped back nervously, expecting the grenade to go off any moment. They coughed and spluttered as the gas made the air in the room unbearable. The mist was also making it harder to see, clouding their vision as it hung in the air. And that was when Batman made his move.

He charged forward like a rhinoceros, tackling the first man and wrenching his machine gun up into the ceiling. The guard fired but the bullets only shot up into the ceiling as Batman held it away from him. He then forced the hapless guard around, spraying bullets around and forcing the others to dive the cover, afraid of being hit. Then the caped crusader yanked the gun out of the man's hands and used it as a club to knock him out with one heavy slam into his head. Another guard took aim and was about to fire but Batman threw the machine gun at him, the huge weapon slamming into the unfortunate man's solar plexus and knocking him off his feet. He could hardly breathe as he landed, letting out strangled gasps as he fought for air.

Another of the five men sprung back to his feet and went to strike Batman with the butt of his gun, only for the vigilante to shove it to the side and deliver a nasty elbow hit to the man's stomach, winding him hard, before launching him high into the air and smashed him onto the floor, leaving the man whimpering from the agonising aches and bruises he received.

The last two of the henchmen managed to tackle Batman, sending him tumbling out of the other door that led into the sewage passageway. The vigilante then suffered a few stomps to the chest and kicks to the sides, though this mattered little to him as his suit had armour laced into the fabric, so all he was feeling was merely soft pokes of tennis balls to his body. Reacting quickly to the sudden tackle, Batman caught one if the thugs' feet and twisted it into the right of the man's direction, making him scream in agony, then received a hard punch to the face from the Dark Knight, who then jabbed his elbow into the other man's kneecap, bringing him down to one knee, before a hard uppercut followed, then the horrific crushing and cracking sound of teeth slamming into each other followed, then the man slumped onto his back in a heap, blood splattered all over his beaten state.

Baring his teeth, Batman picked himself up as steadily as he could, in case he actually received some damage from the sudden attack. He observed the work he did and saw he pretty much left the henchmen in such a beaten state that they were either calling for some nurse or oddly demanded alcohol. Ignoring these bizarre cries of pain, Batman made his way over to the Riddler's unconscious body, seeing the hard work he done on it. Nathanael entered the room, looking a little nervous upon seeing the work Batman did to the Riddler and his men. Not even Ladybug and Chat Noir were like this in a fight, and he was impressed.

Batman turned to him and placed a comforting hand on the teenaged artist's shoulder.

"Are you alright?" he asked in a concerned tone.

Surprised at first, Nathanael nodded with a shy smile "Y-Yeah, thanks sir. I really appreciate it." he said gratefully.

Making a small smile at him, Batman proceeded to pick up the Riddler's beaten body and hung him over his great shoulders.

"Good. Now let's get you out of here." he said in a friendlier tone, bringing great comfort to the redhead as he followed him out.

"Where are the others? Was I the only one this lunatic nabbed?" the young penciller asked, motioning to the unconscious Riddler.

"No, he got the rest of the students in your class." Batman explained, "I managed to save them along with Ladybug and Cat Noir. Though there was one who we couldn't save..." he added grimly.

"Oh no, who was it?" Nathanel asked worriedly.

"The mayor's daughter." Batman muttered, glaring at the unconscious Riddler, "He rigged her phone to blow. It tore most of her head off. I wasn't going to let him take your life too so for her sake, I came here as fast as I could so I could save you Nathanel."

The red-haired teen took this in, unsure what to think. On the one hand, he hated Chloe for she was a horrible person and she had teased him mercilessly over his love for Marinette. When he'd become the Evillustrator, he had wanted to kill the girl herself. On the other hand, that hadn't been him at the time and as himself, he didn't have such thoughts. He wasn't normally one to wish doom on people and he certainly hadn't wanted Chloe dead. It was a shame Batman hadn't been able to save her. But he was grateful that her death had made Batman more determined to save his. In a way, he was thankful to the late girl for the save. It was still a tragedy that the Riddler had managed to claim a life and he wondered if his class would ever get over it, considering they had most likely witnessed the death themselves.

"I'm sorry about Chloe Batman. It really stinks how you can't save everybody..." Nathanel said, hoping he had chosen the right words.

"That's the sad fact every superhero has to learn at some point..." Batman agreed.

Nathanael looked down a bit before placing a comforting hand on the Dark Knight's left arm, giving him a soft look.

"But guys like you do your utter hardest. I'm sure you did everything you could." he said politely like the usual nice boy he was. Batman couldn't help but smile back at him. Paris certainly had a lot of good children growing up in it, to the point where they almost seemed like adults themselves.

"I appreciate it, Nathanael. Thank you" he said in a rare moment of gratefulness, mostly relieved he was actually having a conversation with the boy instead of mourning over the body of another dead child.

Nathanael smiled back, taking in the rare moment of kindness the Dark Knight would dare show.

"You deserve it." he said softly, before heading up the ladder so he could regain his freedom all thanks to the dark vigilante, who still had that small smile on him.

"Good kid." he whispered to himself before adjusting the Riddler's slumped form over his shoulders.

As that happened though, he noticed a piece of paper flutter out of the man's green tuxedo jacket. Swiftly catching it with his spare hand, Batman gave it a sharp look.

"An address...and it's not Edward's handwriting. I better show this to Ladybug and Chat Noir." he noted to himself, placing it in his utility belt before making the short journey up the ladder.

* * *

Meanwhile, Ladybug and Cat Noir were on their way back towards the Riddler's safe house to meet up with the police and the saved children so they could give them the good news. Upon returning home, both heroes had transformed back to normal and called one another up to see if they were alright. Marinette had been relieved, more so than she'd ever been in her life, to hear Adrien's voice as she called him to see if he was OK. Adrien sounded just as relieved to hear Marinette's voice, making the girl feel all mushy inside. It seemed her love interest did care about her after all. After that, Marinette had been quick to phone up Tom and Sabine while Adrien had called Nathalie and the Gorilla. Both had reassured their parents and guardians that they were fine and that there was nothing to fear. They hadn't been victims of the Riddler. The two teens could practically feel the relief that came from their respective guardians, happy for them that they were at ease and no longer worried for them.

Now they could confirm to the police that they were OK, the two heroes had suited up one more and were now on their way back to the others. If they had known that either one was Marinette and Adrien the whole time, they would've realized that they had just wasted time checking on one another. Ladybug swung into the sky with her yoyo, somersaulting and launching it at another building to propel herself forwards. Cat Noir launched himself into the air with his staff, keeping close behind.

"I can't tell you how relieved I am to see that Marinette and Adrien are safe!" he cried out after his love.

"It sure beats more kids being in danger." Ladybug agreed, "I wonder if Batman's come back with Nathanel yet." she murmured, landing on another building.

Chat Noir nodded in agreement "I can only hope. He hasn't contacted us yet..." He grimly noted as he landed beside his lady, who leaned over the edge.

"We're not far now. Hopefully we'll get some answers of our own from the police." she said, shooting her yoyo down to the furthest gargoyle and swung off, with Chat Noir following closely with his bo-staff extending in length, launching himself through the air.

They shortly arrived to find the police had officially sealed off the area with tape and barricades. Captain Roger was by the front door of the safe house when he saw Ladybug and Chat Noir approaching, so he headed towards them

"Were they there?" he asked sharply, receiving a quick nod from the two young heroes.

"Yeah, safe and sound." Chat Noir confirmed.

"They told us they had the lights off and locked everything up and were too nervous to answer the doors." Ladybug added, getting a sigh of relief from the big officer.

"Well that's good. Though have you seen Batman on your journeys?" he asked.

They both shook their heads in response, but as they were about to confirm this with their words, they heard a young voice call out from behind.

"I'm okay! He saved me!" cried the voice of a certain redhead, making the two French heroes turn to see, to their utter relief, Nathanael standing there in one piece, with a certain Dark Knight by his side carrying the unconscious body of the Riddler over his shoulder.

They both grinned in relief as they headed over to them, with Captain Roger following closely. What a lovely sight it was, seeing the last captive safe and sound! Tonight wouldn't end on such a sour note after all.

"Batman, you did it!" Ladybug cried in joy as she reached them both, before smoothing Nathanael's shoulders gently. She might not've returned the feelings he had for her but he was still a good friend to her.

"Glad you're alright." she said pleasantly, getting a smile from the artist in return.

"I'm just glad to be free." he said softly as Captain Roger came over and took him by the shoulder.

"Come on, I'll take you over to the other kids." he offered in a soft tone, getting a nod from Nathanael as he walked him over.

Chat Noir smiled as he saw the beaten state of the Riddler, actually pleased to see some much deserved violence given to someone as vile as him.

"One down and two to go I guess." he noted.

"Very much so." Batman confirmed, "I was very lucky. When I got there, The Riddler was ready to shoot him. I have no idea why for I was expecting him to set up some kind of puzzle trap or use him as a hostage."

"Maybe the guy just wanted to cut his losses and run." Ladybug muttered, glaring at the unconscious man, "Ugh, he makes me sick just looking at him right now!"

"I'm so glad you did it Dark Knight." Cat Noir said graciously, "We may have lost one but you saving Nathanel could give Paris that little bit of hope it needs to get out of the ashes of this tragedy."

"At the very least, those kids can be happy knowing they didn't lose another tonight." Batman agreed, "And now the Riddler will be going away for a very long time. Given Chloe's father is the mayor, I can't see him ever walking free again."

The caped crusader walked over to a police car to deliver The Riddler's body to the cops so they could put him in and drive him off to the police station for questioning. As soon as that load had been dealt with, Batman looked up and saw the one sight he had expected to see. A group of police officers were walking out of the safehouse with a stretcher on wheels in the centre. The stretcher had a body bag lying on it and Batman knew without needing to look in the bag who was in it. They had found Chloe's corpse. Now they could give the unfortunate victim a proper burial after all of this was over. The teens all saw the body bag and came to the same conclusion, some looking away and some unable to take their eyes off the stretcher and its contents. They would never forget this night, no matter how much they wanted to.

For the first time ever, Ladybug and Chat Noir were thinking about the current state of Mayor Bourgeois. For all they knew, he was shut away in his office, sobbing his heart out. Ladybug never lost a family member in her life yet, nor a close friend. She would one day but she hoped it wouldn't be through similar circumstances. Sure, Chloe was the most nastiest brat she ever knew, but she still had her whole life ahead of her. It shouldn't have been wasted like this.

Batman sighed as he looked away, not able to see the sight of a dead body, including a bodybag. But now he had the evidence he hoped would lead them to bring down Hawk Moth for good.

"You two." Batman spoke up.

The single two words had been spoken quietly but they were enough to make Ladybug and Cat Noir's heads turn as if they were listening to an army general barking at them.

"Yes? What is it?" Ladybug asked curiously.

"I found something in The Riddler's jacket." the nocturnal-themed hero explained, "It's a piece of paper that contains what appears to be an address of some kind."

He took the paper out of his belt and showed it. Ladybug and Cat Noir gathered around him, looking down at the paper in the vigilante's gloved hands to see what was on it.

"It's not in the Riddler's handwriting. It seems to be of some odd like writing ink. Not something I've ever seen before. You have any idea where this address is?" Batman noted sharply.

Chat Noir frowned deeply as he observed it, not able to resist the familiarities the handwriting had. It seemed so familiar to him but he couldn't quite put his claws on it. That and the address was all too familiar to him. Still, it was best he voiced his opinion than keeping quiet.

"It could be part of a Miraculous like magic writing ink. Still, I know exactly where this place is." he stated, making Batman and Ladybug look at him.

"You do? Where then, Chat?"

"The Agreste Mansion." Cat Noir said grimly, "Looks as if our purple-clad foes are hanging out in Gabriel Agreste's residence..."

* * *

 _ **The Agreste Mansion? Why are Hawk Moth and The Joker hanging out there? This is very suspicious...**_

 _ **Batman, Ladybug and Cat Noir will be after the two villains now. But what will happen when the fight begins? Tune in next time as a shocking secret is revealed...**_


	11. Chapter 10: Hawk Moth Revealed

**Chapter 10: Hawk Moth Revealed**

It almost felt like going back and forth for Cat Noir. First he left his home to go and fight The Joker, than he had to return home so that he could convince everybody that Adrien, his true identity, was OK and then he left again to join Ladybug and Batman back at the Riddler's safehouse. And now here he was again, going back to his home to take down Hawk Moth and The Joker. For some reason, the two villains were at the Agreste Mansion. That had him worried. Were they now going to target his father? Gabriel Agreste would make a valuable hostage.

Those thoughts ran through his head as he lead Batman to his mansion with Ladybug by his side. The two teens traversed through the air with their weapons as Batman ran after them and glided from building to building. The night would've been quiet had it not been for the sound of sirens through the air. Captain Roger was taking his men to the mansion so that when the three heroes took down the purple-clad villains, they could arrest them and take them away. The police cars cruised through the streets as they followed the costumed crime fighters to the Agreste Mansion. They just hoped Gabriel wouldn't mind having visitors tonight.

Cat Noir landed, Ladybug and Batman following him seconds afterwards, and the three sprinted across another building. The mansion was in sight, they'd be there in no time at all.

"There it is, just a few more blocks!" Cat Noir cried out.

"I hope we're not too late and the two villains haven't hurt anyone..." Ladybug murmured to herself.

"The Joker loves to kill. If there's anybody at home now, they're gonna be dead if we're not there in time." Batman muttered.

"Including Adrien...oh no!" Ladybug gasped in horror, "Adrien and Mr. Agreste! If that clown has done anything to them, I'm never gonna forgive myself!"

Batman raised an eyebrow at her, not seeing a side like this until now. Not even when they were in the Riddler's safe house she panicked like this. But it also seemed somewhat familiar, especially when her voice hit that particular note...

Chat Noir couldn't help but feel a mixture of pleasure and concern. He recently came to realise that Ladybug seemed quite interested in his alter ego, and that ended up deeply pleasing him. But at the same time he had to really reassure her that nothing was going to happen to Adrien, though he was deeply worried about his father's well-being. Sure, he was a cold, distant guy, but he still loved his father and hated the thought of the Joker and Hawk Moth getting their hands on him. Still, returning to the present, he rested his hands on Ladybug's shoulders.

"M'Lady, calm down. Look, you and I both know Adrien's house has tight security, and I'm pretty sure they learnt to keep them updated at times like this since that Simon guy attacked." he pointed out, easing the tension in his lady's body, though she still looked uncertain.

"Are you sure?" she asked worriedly, not sounding her usual confident self.

"I'm sure. Just trust my word in this, okay?" he softly asked, placing her hand on his heart in exaggeration. Ladybug felt a little more warmed up by her feline accomplice's comfort and nodded, exhaling a little to release more tension in her firm.

"I trust you Chat" she confirmed, smiling a little.

As they neared the mansion, Batman brought up a question that had been playing on his mind since the address was brought up.

"Who exactly is Gabriel Agreste? I know quite a few rich men around the world, but I've never come across someone like him." he explained, leaving Ladybug and Chat Noir near gobsmacked.

This was the Batman, and he hadn't had a clue at who was one of France's most wealthiest men? That was almost near impossible, given he had tabs on nearly everything! Feeling the need to explain, Ladybug went first.

"He's the head of his own fashion company. Honestly, his company does make some really cool clothes. Nearly all of Paris buys the clothes he makes." she confirmed in a bright tone, having greatly admired the handiwork Gabriel had put in his fashion line.

Chat Noir tried to hide the bitterness in his voice as he explained his view in Gabriel.

"Yeah, a rich guy, but from what I know of, he's a bit distant from his son, who he has as his company's ideal model. The guy rarely let him out of the house for almost fourteen years of his life. He only recently let him go to school." he explained, resisting the rising tone of his voice.

"And you say that his mansion has high security?" Batman added.

"Oh yes. I was there when he put it up, as was Cat Noir." Ladybug said brightly, "He managed to keep a crowd of controlled people at bay for a while with his security features."

"Then how come people seem to keep breaking in so easily?" Batman mused, turning the facts over in his head, "First the Riddler's men and now Hawk Moth and The Joker have got in. It's almost as if he WANTS people to break in like this."

That made the insect and feline-themed heroes fall silent and think for a moment. That raised a good few points to think about. Cat Noir himself had been wondering about how the Riddler's men had gotten into his mansion so easily. It couldn't be because his father had forgotten to turn it on, he NEVER forgot to turn the security features on at night. Could it be something else entirely?

"With that in mind, could it be that...Gabriel's working with the villains?" the blonde teen mused aloud.

No, it couldn't be! Don't even think about it! His father was many things, but he was no villain! How could he dare even make such a conclusion? Ladybug seemed similarly unconvinced.

"That's preposterous kitty, why the heck would Gabriel work for Hawk Moth? He almost got killed once because of him!" she blurted, thinking back to how Simon Says had almost caused the fashion designer to jump off a roof.

"I know, I know, stupid conclusion." Cat Noir said sheepishly, "I guess maybe the Riddler's men sabotaged the security so they could get in and thus, made it easy for Hawk Moth and Joker to get in?"

"It's possible. We may find out when we confront them." Batman murmured, "Let's go, Mr. Agreste and his son's lives maybe at stake."

"Right behind you, Bats. C'mon, Chat." Ladybug replied as she followed after Batman, only for Chat Noir to go further ahead of them.

"We can't go in through the front, there's a built in camera in one of the gate's pillar connections. They could see us coming right away." he pointed out, making Batman drawing out his grappling pistol.

"In that case, how about a higher way in?" he offered as he took aim and fired the grappling gun at the roof ledge, beginning his ascent to the roof. Ladybug complied with outstretching her yoyo and swung it up after his grappling hook, while Chat Noir followed with the extension of his baton, launching himself through the air to reach the roof of his home, all the while still thinking about his father's current state...

* * *

In his lair, Hawk Moth tapped his chin in thought as he kept looking out through the window and into the night sky. Joker chuckled as he leaned against the dark wall behind the silver masked man.

"Are you in love with the moonlight or something, birdman?" he asked with that ever present grin on his face.

"The Riddler should've been here by now, that's what I'm worried about." Hawk Moth replied sharply as he twirled his cane in his hands. Joker laughed a little and then he patted Hawk Moth's shoulder.

"Oh c'mon, we were better off without him. Who would want to be with a man child anyway!?" he exclaimed, making Hawk Moth resist the urge of calling him a hypocrite.

That was then, though the room began to flash red, a small beeping sound accompanying it. Hawk Moth looked utterly nervous at this point while the Joker looked unfazed as usual.

"My my, is this a disco room now?" he asked in wonder.

"No you fool, that's the mansion's private alarm. Which means..." Hawk Moth trailed off in shock as his circular window closed and gotten up its own styled TV, showing him footage of a hidden camera that shown Batman, Ladybug and Chat Noir on the roof.

"WHAT?!" the masked man cried out in alarm, unable to believe what he was seeing.

"Well, well, well! Looks like we have visitors!" The Joker chuckled, "Why not invite them in for tea and biscuits or whatever it is you Frenchies do when you get guests. Do you offer them baguettes instead?"

"This is impossible!" Hawk Moth exclaimed, ignoring the Joker's ill attempt at humour, "How can these costumed cretins possibly know where we are?! My lair is hidden where nobody can possibly find it! How have they worked it out?!"

"Well maybe somebody shouldn't have left his address in the Riddler's pocket!" The Joker retorted.

Hawk Moth sighed in annoyance. In hindsight, he had to admit that maybe giving the Riddler his address wasn't such a good idea after all. He should've just made him memorize it rather than give him some paper that contains such vital information. No doubt Batman must've nabbed the puzzlemaster and found the paper in his pocket. How else could they have found out? The purple-suited villain slammed his cane down on the floor, startling the butterflies.

"Why did I let you convince me to let the Riddler in on this plan? Everything's going wrong, EVERYTHING! And now my second biggest secret has been revealed!" he ranted.

"Second biggest secret? What's number one than Hawk-y?" the Joker purred inquisitively.

"If I told you, it wouldn't BE a secret now would it?!" Hawk Moth bellowed, "Stop making jokes and prepare yourself Joker! We're going to receive some very unwanted guests very shortly..."

"Ha, you and I are already prepared, fine and dandy!" the Joker yelled madly as he straightened the lapels of his purple coat, which he then opened up to have a bizarre amount of weapons, from knives, to bombs, to guns, poison contained in bottles, and many other odd things.

Brushing off the odd moment, Hawk Moth instead outstretched his hands, causing all of the butterflies in the room to start flying around him...to the point where his window fully opened and more ended up flying in. For once the Joker gotten a little nervous, not liking what was happening.

"Uh, what are you doing? It's like a tornado of butterflies in here!" The villainous clown yelled, trying to get his voice above the noise of flapping wings.

"You'll see soon enough, clown." came the deep reply of Hawk Moth as every butterfly that surrounded him began to glow a very dark purple...

* * *

Back on the rooftop, Chat Noir opened up the door that would lead into the mansion's highest floor. He was being as quiet as he could, trying to keep his stomach from tightening as he continued to grow nervous about the whereabouts of his father, not liking how awfully quiet the mansion was. Batman broken the silence as he followed in after Ladybug.

"There doesn't seem to be anyone at home." he noted quietly as he and the two teenagers reached the bottom step.

"Or that's what they're trying to make us think." Chat whispered back as he kept a tight grip on his bo-staff, ready to strike at any moment.

That was when Ladybug felt a shiver run through her, from her feet to her head. She often felt like this if she could sense a powerful form of magic nearby, thanks to a bit of Master Fu's training. She tapped the two darker vigilante's shoulders and gestured at the floor while putting a finger to her lips. She could hear something...like huge flapping wings...

"What is it?" Batman whispered, only for Ladybug to wave her hand at him.

"Just keep going. I think we're gonna have company." she replied in a very serious tone, readying her yoyo as she felt her back neck hair stand on end. Something big was coming, no doubt.

"What kind of company?" Cat Noir whispered back.

"Company with very big wings from the sounds of things..." Ladybug mused.

That made sense. Hawk Moth could control butterflies what with his Miraculous being the Moth Broach and his akumas were always corrupted butterflies so chances are, he was probably weaponizing them for something. Batman seemed to have the same idea.

"Keep close, we could be meeting a lot of flying insects all of a sudden." the Gotham Knight said cautiously.

The three heroes filed in through the open door and walked up a flight of stairs to the highest floor of the mansion. The sound of beating wings was getting louder and louder as they approached the door at the top of the stairs. Whatever Hawk Moth was doing, it was happening in this room. They had found his lair at last.

"So this must be the room where his magic happens..." Ladybug guessed as they approached the door, "No wonder we could never find the guy. We'd never think to look for him here!"

"I bet even Gabriel has no idea he's up here." Cat Noir whispered, "He's in for a shock when he finds out."

Batman reached forward and grabbed the door handle. To his surprise, it wasn't locked. The handle turned and he opened the door, letting himself into the room. But then he saw why the door wasn't locked. It was very clear that Hawk Moth and the Joker had been expecting the heroes. Looming before him stood what looked like a cloud of purple butterflies. They had formed a humanoid shape with large wings sprouting up from its back. It was quite a sight and seeing this made Batman think of his old enemy, Killer Moth. The resemblance was striking from the purple colour scheme to the humanoid shape with wings. Hawk Moth stood in the centre of the room, cackling like a crazed lunatic as the huge butterfly-human thing advanced on the heroes. They all stepped back, unable to believe what they were seeing.

Hawk Moth himself was coated in something rather similar to that of what Green Lantern would use to make energy construct armour, only here it had a more gaseous and glow like look to it. His chest section was that of a very dark purple, giving it an almost perfect armoured replica of his suit, with a black mark running from shoulder to shoulder and it took a dip downwards near the middle, while his forearms and lower legs were coveted by the same similar armour. His cane was replaced by a magic construct of a cutlass sword, obviously formed by the akumas as well. Next to him stood the Joker, laughing loudly as he leaned against his shoulder while more of the winged creatures stood beside them. There was four of the creatures in total, and each was hulking and frightening in their own way.

"So, you finally found me. And it took you all this time as well!" Hawk Moth crowed coolly as he gripped his magic sword, before looking at his creations "I saw you were coming, so I thought I'd prepare some servants to deal with you three." he chuckled.

Just seeing the man in person was enough to make Ladybug and Cat Noir grit their teeth and scowl at him. They looked as if they were about ready to beat him to death.

"Hawk Moth. At long last, we meet in the flesh..." Ladybug growled, "You have A LOT to answer for you monster! All the people you've akumatized, the destruction that they've caused in your name, teaming up with The Riddler and causing an innocent person to die! And all just to get our Miraculouses no less!"

"I'd burn this insipid city to the ground if it meant getting your Miraculous Ladybug!" Hawk Moth retorted, "And now you and Cat Noir are here at last so I can pry those gems from your rotting corpses!"

"Let's face it kiddos, coming to us wasn't the best idea you ever had was it?" The Joker sneered, "Now Hawk-y boy can get those Miraculouses for himself without needing any bone-heads to do it for him! In a way, you've hand-delivered those gems right to him!"

"Not quite. You two still need to take them first." Batman noted, his voice as dark as the room they were in.

"We'll take Hawk Moth Batman. You get The Joker." Cat Noir declared, brandishing his staff and getting ready to attack.

"Be careful you two, and don't let him get your Miraculouses." Batman warned, clenching his fists.

"His akuma slaves couldn't get them from us so the main man himself won't get them either!" Ladybug declared, "We're ready for this! It's time to end all of Paris's terror for good!"

"Can we cut the whole dramatics? It's getting boring!" the Joker said bluntly, getting a nod off Hawk Moth.

"The mansion is yours, Joker." he said with a smug smile.

The Joker grinned madly and pulled out a pistol and a small grenade, surprising the heroes as a pair of purple butterfly wings shot out from his back, showing Hawk Moth weaponized him too. Laughing loudly, the Joker tossed the grenade towards the trio, all of whom dived out of the way to avoid the incoming projectile, which exploded as soon as it touched the ground.

Batman growled and leapt at the flying Joker, looping an arm around his torso as he came at him, both of them crashing through the doorway and down the stairs that led to the room. The Akuma-Men let out a hideous growl as they all flew out after the two battling nemesis's, ignoring Ladybug and Chat Noir as they gotten back to their feet, readying their own magical weapons as a pair of butterfly wings ripped out from Hawk Moth's back, aiming his sword at them both.

"Ready to dance to death?" he hissed smoothly.

Chat couldn't resist any longer. Given that this creep was hiding in his house all this time just made his usually calm blood boil in rage, and now was the time to lash that anger out on something. Baring his teeth, he pounced at Hawk Moth, swiping his bo-staff out at him, only for Hawk Moth to deflect the incoming swipes with a counter of his own blade, which surprisingly didn't cut through Chat's staff.

Ladybug used this to her opportunity. Shooting her yoyo out, she connected it to the oval window opposite and pulled herself forward, delivering a hard punch towards Hawk Moth, who turned his head and was jabbed in the shoulder by the red fist of the bluenette, who landed against the window frame, allowing Chat to strike back against the cruel man, managing to whack him in the gut twice and went to hit him in the head, only for Hawk Moth to grab it with his left hand. At that moment Ladybug tried to pounce on him from behind, only for the masked man to suddenly take to the air and delivered roundhouse kick to her face, knocking her out of the air and sending her crashing to the floor, denting it a little. He then swung Chat Noir around a bit before flinging him upwards and delivering a downward hammer first to his chest, sending Chat plummeting into Ladybug, causing both him and her to crash through the floor and to fall down into the luxurious dining room of the Agreste home. Groaning from the sudden beating Hawk Moth gave them, the pair gotten back to their feet as the man himself tore through the hole and floated above them with a malicious grin on his face.

"I think I understand the old saying "If you want something done right, do it yourself"..." he purred, touching down on the ground as his opponents stood back up, "Because it's so much better when you do do it yourself! All my time wasted on those pathetic akuma minions when I could've just done this myself!"

He cackled as he raised his sword, aiming to swing it down and cleave the heroine and hero duo in two. Ladybug cried out, watching the blade rise into the air as Hawk Moth aimed. She jumped to the side with Cat Noir jumping to the opposite side, leaving their nemesis to swing down and slam the sword into the floor. Ladybug ran around behind Hawk Moth and swung her yo-yo, hitting him in the back of the head and causing him to turn around in anger. Now distracted, he was unaware of Cat Noir running up behind him and extending his staff. He swiped it through the air, slamming it behind Hawk Moth's heels and tripping the akuma-making villain up. The masked man landed down heavily onto his back, surprised that the feline hero had even gotten the drop on him like this.

Ladybug jumped onto his torso and swept her eyes over him, searching for his Miraculous. But she didn't have time to spot it for the purple man recovered and slammed his fist into the girl's side, knocking her down on the floor. Ladybug winced and ran a hand over her ribs to see if any were broken. She hadn't sustained any damage, much to her delight. She stood up again as Hawk Moth got to his feet and raised his sword. Ladybug spun her yo-yo around, looking for the right place to launch it on her opponent. His thighs were exposed so she could use them to her advantage. Hawk Moth lunged at her, missing as Ladybug jumped onto the dining table. She drew her arm back and swung it forwards, launching her yo-yo at Hawk Moth's thigh. She hit it at full force, sending a spasm of pain through the butterfly themed villain's leg. He winced, fighting to stay standing despite his leg hurting. Ladybug smirked as she then sprang off the table and drop kicked her arch-enemy directly in the face, her foot landing squarely between the eyes. The kick sent Hawk Moth staggering backwards, nearly falling over onto his back again. He grunted in annoyance and adopted another battle-ready stance.

"OK, so you're not as pathetic as I thought. Maybe you will be a challenge after all..." he murmured.

"I hope you're enjoying yourself butterfly brains because you won't be when we take away your Miraculous and let the cops deal with you!" Ladybug retorted, readying herself for another yo-yo strike.

Hawk Moth growled at the insult before shooting his left arm out, two butterfly shaped blasts going towards her. Chat Noir gotten in front of his lady and swatted them both down into nothingness, allowing Ladybug to leap over Chat and wrap her yoyo around the villain's extended forearm, before yanking him across the room and into the large staircase that sat in the lobby, bashing a bit of it apart. As Hawk Moth recovered, a horrific laugh echoed throughout the room. Following this was Batman getting tossed through one of the walls opposite Hawk Moth, crashing into his side but quickly rolling to his feet. He leapt to the right to dodge incoming gunfire coming from the Joker, who flew in with the Akuma-Men, laughing like there was no tomorrow.

"This is the most fun I've had in my life!" Joker exclaimed as he watched two of the Akuma-Men sweep down towards Batman, who raised his forearms and locked his hands around one of the creature's wrists, before swinging his body back and forth and launched himself upwards, spun himself around and landed on the monster's back.

He took hold of the monster by the chin and shoved it to the left to make this creature fly towards one of the Akuma-Men, before twisting it's arm upwards and made it form a blade, slashing it across the other's stomach, wounding it a bit, then he made the one he was controlling to kick away at another incoming monster, sending it crashing into a higher part of the stairwell and then flew towards the Joker, who just cackled as he drew out a grenade, tossing it towards his incoming opponent.

Gritting his teeth, Batman forced the Akuma-Man he was flying to make a sharp twist in the air, only for the grenade to go off, tearing away at the monster's front and sent Batman flying to the floor. The injured Akuma-Men hissed angrily as their healing powers kicked in, glaring at the Joker, who shrugged.

"Oh c'mon, I'll do anything to get him in a coffin! Let's get him!" he laughed. Snarling, all of the Akuma-Men flew after Batman, who quickly drew out two smoke bombs and threw them to floor roughly, setting them off.

The Akuma-Men found themselves quickly engulfed by the smoke, roaring in annoyance as they were blinded by the grey mist that emitted from the bombs. Now they were distracted, Batman had a chance to take a shot at the Joker. He was more important than the Akuma-Men, especially since Ladybug and Cat Noir were dealing with Hawk Moth. Once they got his Miraculous, the Akuma-Men would just disappear but The Joker wouldn't go away like that. So he drew out a Batarang and threw it at the evil clown.

The Joker laughed and stepped aside, leaving the weapon to zoom past him and ricochet off of a wall. It returned to Batman's hand and the vigilante stampeded towards the maniacal criminal. He swiped his arm, making The Joker thing he was going to throw his Batarang again. The Joker flinched instinctively to dodge but instead, found himself getting punched in the face as Batman reached him. The cackling killer stumbled to the side, his head swimming a little from the punch. He shook it off and cackled menacingly.

"That was sneaky of you Bats, I like sneaky! But I'm full of surprises myself!" he crowed.

"Like you always are." Batman muttered, throwing the Batarang at him again.

The Joker dodged out of the way, but not quite quick enough. The Batarang lightly nicked him across the tip of his nose, making him wince in pain as a small cut opened up on it. Now the clown was distracted, Batman lunged at him and delivered a series of punches to his face and torso. The Joker grunted with every punch, feeling like he was being hammered by a steel rod, and Batman threw an uppercut that nearly took the Clown Prince of Crime's head off. The Joker stumbled backwards, massaging his head slightly. His trademark smile was still spread out across his white, crazed features as he looked his enemy right in the eye. Batman leaned forward, looking like he was about to charge. He ran towards his opponent but The Joker spun around like a ballet dancer and delivered a powerful kick to the costumed crimefighter's face, knocking him aside and onto the floor.

"Oooh, bet you didn't get a "kick" outta that eh Bat-brains?! Ah, ha, ha, ha, ha!" the Joker taunted.

Batman grunted as he pounced at the Joker, who laughed like there was no tomorrow as he took to the air and stomped on Batman's back, sending him crashing to the floor on his front. As the smoke nearby cleared, the Joker whistled them.

"Hey boys! Get a whack outta this!" he yelled as he drew out a cream spray and a frying pan, one of his favourite tools of handy work.

Batman jumped back to his feet and turned to the clown's direction, only to fall victim to a spray of cream going over his eyes. Crying out in alarm, the vigilante tried to wipe it off, only to receive a blow to the gut from the frying pan, then gotten whacked in the chin by it, then right n the face, then in the left cheek, and was finished with a hard kick up the the chin, sending him crashing through the kitchen doors, skidding to a halt against the sink cupboard behind him. Grunting, he wiped the cream off and watched on in silent fury as the Joker giggled like a fairy in the middle of the air.

"HA HA HA HA HA! The old ones are the best! Go get him, boys!" the Joker ordered in a laughing fit, sending the four creatures flying after Batman, the lead Akuma-Man opening what seemed to be its mouth, which glowed in a violet purple, which made Batman tense up as he realised what was coming.

"Ah shit!" he exclaimed as he dove to the left to avoid the incoming violet blast of magic, which tore through the cupboard he was in front of moments earlier.

Drawing out one of his explosive batarangs, the Dark Knight looked hesitant for a moment, not sure if what he was about to do was right. Then he sighed and blinked.

"They're just monsters." he said to himself in acknowledgement, before tossing it forward into the jaws of the incoming Akuma-Man, diving for cover behind the kitchen cooking table. What followed was a loud explosion that sent out a loud shockwave of purple energy, knocking the other Akuma-Men and the Joker to the ground.

Jumping to his feet, Batman looked to see the mess he had made, but was in for a surprise: instead of seeing a huge amount of dead butterflies, what he saw instead was a huge bunch of white butterflies fluttering freely in the air, flapping about as they headed through one of the broken holes of the wall nearby. Well, at least no flying insects were killed, that was something. With that done, he resumed his work, getting out his taser knuckles as he leapt at the next Akuma-Man.

Back with Ladybug and Chat Noir, they were just managing to fight Hawk Moth into a corner as they used their yoyo and bo-staff as spinning shields against his butterfly energy blasts. However, when he felt he was close enough against the wall, Hawk Moth smirked as his wings suddenly came to life, acting like a vicious claw as they tore out a large chunk of the wall behind him, before twisting on his toes and tossed the chunk of debris out at his two young enemies.

"GAH!" Ladybug shrieked as the huge chunk of debris came hurling towards her and her partner.

Instead of moving, she instead held her spinning yo-yo in front of her while Cat Noir leapt aside. She remembered doing this when a falling bus came close to crushing her and Cat Noir during Stormy Weather's attack. She closed her eyes as the wall chunk slammed into her. Her spinning yo-yo cleaved right through it, digging a hole in the middle and causing the chunk to break in two, not even so much as scratching her. It was like being a giant saw blade slicing through whatever came your way. Ladybug sighed with relief, pleased to see her tactic worked. But Hawk Moth had decided to take advantage of such a distraction.

His wings reached over and as the butterfly villain came towards his opponent, he swung them down, slamming Ladybug in the back and squashing her against the floor like a giant red and black fly being swatted by a giant fly swatter. The bluenette cried out as she was hit and Cat Noir scampered towards Hawk Moth to help his lady. But Hawk Moth spun around and walloped him with his wings, throwing him across the room and into one of the Akuma-Men. Now he was out of the way, Hawk Moth grabbed Ladybug and hoisted the French teen up off the floor. His armour increased his strength so the girl weighed nothing in his hands. Ladybug squirmed, trying to get free. She could feel her heart pounding with worry as she was forced to gaze into her arch-enemy's eyes.

"At long last...I've got you..." Hawk Moth purred, "Now time for me to get what is mine and to expose your worthless secret to the world!"

He flexed his fingers eagerly as he raised one hand and reached for Ladybug's earrings. Ladybug leaned away but she knew it would be no good. Hawk Moth would take the earrings and she would be powerless.

"N-no! You won't take my Miraculous!" the heroine screeched in defiance just as Hawk Moth's fingers neared her right ear.

She then cringed and closed her eyes as she pulled one of her legs back.

"I swore I'd never do this..." she muttered to herself, before shooting her leg forward, feeling it making a hard connection to something all too rather squishy, with a loud crack echoing throughout the wrecked mansion.

Hawk Moth's eyes nearly bulged out of his mask and he dropped to the ground, clutching that all too precious spot of any human being. Landing on her feet, Ladybug adjusted her earrings as Chat Noir joined her side while Hawk Moth tried his hardest not to squeal like a girl.

"Nice shot, M'Lady!" Chat Noir beamed as he shot his fist out, connecting it with her own, though she looked a little uneasy.

"Thanks Chat, but I'm never doing that again." she said with a tinge of guilt in her voice.

That was when Hawk Moth let out a squeak as he gotten back to his feet, glaring at her.

"I'll make sure you won't breathe any longer after this night!" he declared as he ran towards the two like a bull, going to swipe her head off with his magic blade, only for the two to sidestep, with Ladybug wrapping her yoyo around his ankle and tossed him out through the lobby's tall doors, which crashed to the floor into multiple little chunks. Chat Noir whistled nervously as he realised this would cost a lot to repair unless Ladybug worked her magic on the place. Together, he and his lady darted out to the driveway of the Agreste Mansion as the Joker was flung through the air behind them by Batman.

Outside, Hawk Moth brushed some dust off his armour as he flew a few feet above the ground, facing Ladybug and Chat Noir directly.

"There won't be anywhere for you to run to, Hawk Moth. The planet's international news is all over Paris, they'll be swarming this residence before you know it!" Ladybug yelled as she readied her yoyo, only for the masked villain to chuckle creepily.

"It doesn't really matter. I can strike out against you myself from this point, no need to brainwash anymore of these peasants you protect." he crowed, earning a growl from the teens.

"Why here, Hawk Moth!? Why set up your hideout in the Agreste Mansion!? Why endanger its residence!?" Chat Noir demanded very angrily, not really holding back his personal feelings regarding all this.

Hawk Moth looked a little unsure for a moment, actually wondering why at the mansion of all places. Then he chuckled as he answered the feline hero.

"My dear boy, it's as closest to home for me to set up residence. I mean, it's all going to make a lot of sense to me when this is all over. Maybe one day you'll understand when you find out the truth."

"What truth?" Cat Noir growled angrily.

"Yeah, what are you talking about?" Ladybug demanded venomously.

"Maybe he's gonna reveal his Number 1 secret at last!" The Joker snickered unhelpfully in the background.

Chat Noir rolled his eyes, already fed up with the Joker's laughing around. Instead he glared at Hawk Moth as he aimed his bo-staff at him.

"I don't give a shit about who you really are! As far as I'm concerned, you're a sad, pathetic man who's got nothing better to do than ruin people's lives! That's all who you are, and after tonight, you'll be locked away for good!" he snarled, really letting the heat get to his heart considering his home was now wrecked and his father was nowhere in sight. Could you blame him for being so darn angry at this point? Then again, Ladybug looked really surprised at how angry Chat was. He was rarely like this so she was left wondering why he was getting so upset about all of it.

Hawk Moth looked as if that struck a nerve, before he scowled down at the young blonde hero.

"You know NOTHING about me, boy! Utterly nothing! And you'll vanish into the nothingness from whence you came!" he snarled as his eyes suddenly glowed violet in a rage of sorts.

Before Ladybug and Chat Noir knew it, they were blinded by a huge blast of purple energy that was released from Hawk Moth's body, sending them flying back onto the front steps of the Agreste Mansion, with Hawk Moth taking to the air once more.

Back inside the house, Batman was still getting caught up in a few brawls with the three remaining Akuma-Men, whom the Joker cheered on with glee as he saw them surround his arch enemy.

"Come on Akuma-Men! Give him a left, then a right! Then bite his ear once you rip that cowl open!" The Joker cackled crazily.

Batman tried to ignore the mad cacklings of his clown-themed nemesis as he opened up the distance between himself and the three Akuma-Men in one well-timed leap that carried him almost across the entire length of the room. He landed, thinking fast as he tried to plan out his next attack. He couldn't go on forever, already feeling the strain as his body pleaded for him to rest. He had to finish this fight quickly. And how could he do that?

The vigilante spotted Hawk Moth, just hovering above the ground outside the mansion as he slashed at his opponents. If he could help them to take Hawk Moth down and get his Miraculous away from him, the Akuma-Men would disappear and that'd just leave The Joker to deal with. Hawk Moth would be useless and defeated. Yes, he now had his plan. In order to keep the Akuma-Men distracted, Batman drew out several Batarangs and threw them in rapid succession, hitting all three of them at once and making them back away in pain. The Joker saw this and gritted his teeth angrily.

"Hey, you useless clouds of butterflies, it's only a puny Batarang! You can handle that easily!" the clown ranted.

Now Batman had a chance, he turned on his heels and charged outside towards Hawk Moth. By the time the Akuma-Men recovered from the attack, they saw that Batman was already leaping towards their master and began running after him. Hawk Moth wasn't even aware that Batman was heading towards him as he prepared to attack Ladybug and Cat Noir again. He raised his sword just as Batman landed on his back and grabbed onto him. The French villain cried out in alarm as he felt a sudden weight increase pull on his back from nowhere. Batman held on tightly as he pulled out just the thing he needed...his canister of explosive gel. The tool had never let him down in the past and was certainly not going to fail him now. Hawk Moth growled savagely as he swung himself from side to side, trying to throw Batman off. The Gotham Vigilante clung on for dear life, trying his hardest not to drop the explosive gel. He managed to hold onto the canister and he closed his fingers around the trigger. He sprayed some gel onto the back of Hawk Moth's head and also on his back just in the centre. He leapt off, leaving Hawk Moth to turn around and cleave through empty air with his sword. Ladybug and Cat Noir wondered what was going to happen next now Batman had just sprayed gel on him. If he thought staining Hawk Moth's armour would work, he was nuts!

Batman smirked triumphantly as he activated the gel's explosive power. Before everyone knew it, Hawk Moth's armour glowed a bright purple as the explosive did its job, as if it sensed the incoming attack. The explosion was strong enough to send the purple clad man rocketing down to the ground and crashed onto his front in a heap, his armour of Akuma energy heavily broken and exposing his chest, his wings behind fading away to dust. The French villain coughed and groaned as he went to try and pick himself up, feeling his mask was damaged too, exposing tuffs of silver and blonde looking air. Just as it flash purple and began to hide the tuffs, Hawk Moth felt a hard boot slam into his back, shoving him back down onto the ground. A thud of metal followed, making him look to see the rear end of Chat Noir's bo-staff planted in front of him.

The feline styled hero smirked as he proceeded to shove the man onto his back, before crouching down next to him. The Akuma-Men frozen still, almost unsure of what to do. The Joker giggled quietly in delight as he watched on from what was left of the staircase, taking note of the newly arrived news helicopter.

"Oooh hooo, this is it!" He excitedly said to himself.

Ladybug honestly wasn't sure of what to do. Part of her felt a tiny bit jealous Chat gotten that close to their nemesis, but at the same time she could only wonder why he was so angry during the whole fight. Would she get her answers here and now?

"You've lost, Hawk Moth. You've brought enough pain and misery to this city, but it pisses me off that you used this house as your base of operations. So let's give the city the face of the monster under that mask." Chat said in a smug tone as he clicked his claws together and gripped hold of the brooch around Hawk Moth's neck.

At this point, Ladybug and Batman reached his side, wanting to see who this foul perpetrator was behind the silver mask. Closing his hands around the brooch, Chat pulled it off as swiftly as he could.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Hawk Moth cried out, angered that his Miraculous was now in the hands of his enemy.

He reached out for the broach but Cat Noir stepped back as the purple-suited man was engulfed in a purple glow. He was transforming back to normal and as his power faded, the Akuma-Men nearby disappeared into a cloud of butterflies, the insects all restored to normal with not a hint of dark energy on them anywhere. Their white bodies seemed to glow in the moonlight as they flapped away. The Joker didn't even look bothered as his henchmen were reduced to normal.

"Heh, I always preferred my hit-men to look like men anyway!" he sighed snidely.

Ladybug and Batman watched as Hawk Moth's body continued to glow. It was almost as if fate was taunting them by pointlessly prolonging his big reveal. But then the glow began to soften and the man's body could be made out. Cat Noir leaned in closer, trying to see who it was as the glow began to disappear. Hawk Moth was no longer lying on the ground before him. Instead, there was a silver-haired man in glasses and wearing a white business suit with red trousers. But the sickening thing about this man was that he was no ordinary man or just some random citizen. Cat Noir gasped in horror for he actually recognized who it was. But even now, faced with the terrible reality he now bore witness to, he could hardly believe what he was seeing. Lying there in Hawk Moth's place...was Gabriel Agreste! He looked up angrily at the trio, looking like he was about ready to murder them on the spot. There was a chorus of gasps from the three heroes as they took this in but Cat Noir's was the most audible of the three.

"DAD?!" he blurted.

He was so horrified that he hadn't even realized he just hinted at his true identity. Finding out that his dad was really Hawk Moth the whole time felt like a knife in his heart. Ladybug and Batman were both taken-aback by this. Batman hadn't expected Hawk Moth to actually be some business man but the fact Cat Noir had referred to him as "dad" made him raise an eyebrow. Ladybug took note of this too, gobsmacked at the fact Hawk Moth was really Gabriel Agreste the whole time but even more so at the fact Cat Noir called him "dad".

"Dad...you called him dad! But Gabriel Agreste only has one son!" Ladybug cried, "Cat Noir...are you really...Adrien Agreste?!" she shrieked in disbelief.

Chat Noir didn't respond, almost as if he didn't hear his lady's exclamation of shock. Instead he locked eyes with the elderly man kneeling opposite him, disbelief, shock, sadness and betrayal in his big green eyes. Batman was admittedly quite curious about the identity of the feline styled hero, having seen images of him all across Paris in his modelling clothes. Ladybug was just looking back and forth between the father and son looking almost dumbstruck. It couldn't be...Adrien was Chat this whole time!? How come she couldn't tell about this!? It now made sense why he had been taking Hawk Moth hiding out in the Agreste Mansion so personally, because he lived there. He always had done.

Chat almost couldn't find the strength to speak. He felt as if his heart was torn out of his chest and crushed into nothing but a squishy puddle of blood. Loads of things were running through his head at this point. His father always absent, looking at his ring and Ladybug's earpieces, having the Miraculous book in his secret vault...it all made sense now! How could he not have realised it earlier!? It was so friggin obvious!

Gabriel, ignoring the fact that the news helicopter high above them just captured this shocking reveal (though thankfully not hearing anything), just merely grunted as he stood up, his finger's twisting towards his palms like claws as he stared back at Chat Noir.

"Give that back, Adrien." he coldly ordered, not really being surprised that his son was one of his enemies all along. Chat just stared at him, almost like he was a young child in his toddler years, so confused and upset at what was unfolding around him.

"W-Why? Dad...you were Hawk Moth this whole time...why!?" he demanded, tears starting to rise in his green orbs.

"Never you mind boy, just give me the broach back!" Gabriel snapped.

"TELL ME WHY DAD!" Cat Noir bellowed, his voice cracking and sounding nothing like his own.

He had never sounded so broken and traumatised in his whole life. Ladybug even recoiled, surprised to hear this side of Cat Noir. It sounded like he'd transformed into somebody else in that one single moment. Gabriel himself hesitated, surprised to hear his superhero son sounding so angry. His cold eyes narrowed scornfully at his son.

"Your mother Adrien. I want her back!" he said hoarsely, "That's all I've ever wanted! My wife's disappearance tore me apart from the inside out! With my Miraculous and the powers of Ladybug and Cat Noir, I can achieve that goal!"

"And this excuses what you've done as Hawk Moth dad?!" Cat Noir exploded, tears running down his masked features, "All the people you've corrupted, all the terror you've brought to the city?! YOU EVEN AKUMATIZED A DAMN KID FOR GOD'S SAKE! HOW IN ANYWAY DOES WANTING MY MOM BACK MAKE WHAT YOU'VE DONE ACCEPTABLE?! WOULD SHE HAVE WANTED THIS DAD?!" he ranted, making Gabriel shrink back.

"Wow, I didn't think Kitty Galore here could blow his top so badly!" The Joker sneered, "Daddy issues really do hit the young ones right where it hurts doesn't it?! AH, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA!"

Batman glared at the Joker, who giggled hysterically.

"Honestly, am I glad I don't have a clue at who I am anymore because I wouldn't be able to put up with such drama and broken hearts! I'd become a real drama queen if I had a heart in me, HA HA HA HA! Well I must say, it's been a fantastic night my children, but it's time to set course for the big new world. Bon voyage, Bats!" he snickered as he drew out a smoke bomb of his own.

Batman turned away from the arguing Agrestes and went towards the Joker, who pulled the pin from the grenade and tossed it to the floor, already making a dash for it before the smoke was released.

"Sayonara everyone!" The Joker's voiced echoed as he disappeared in the cloud of smoke that billowed out of the grenade.

Batman stepped back, covering his mouth and making sure he didn't breathe any of it in. He didn't want to take the chance that it might be Joker Gas. Ladybug and Cat Noir didn't seem to have noticed that The Joker had left, their attention still fixed on Gabriel Agreste. The man had staggered to his feet and his face had cracked into a crazed smile that didn't look right on his usually cold and serious face. He looked like somebody completely different.

"So what are you going to do now Adrien?" he asked, his voice sounding on the edge of hysteria, "Arrest me? Let the cops take me away and lock me up forever? You wouldn't dare lock up your own father you miserable child! You wouldn't be able to live with yourself!"

He paused as he began to giggle, the hysteria getting worse as he carried on.

"And besides, I've got money! All I have to do is bribe the guards and I can walk free in no time at all! You'll never be rid of me!" Gabriel blabbered, "So go on, arrest me! You'll never be able to live with the fact that Hawk Moth was your father the whole time, NEVER!"

"No...you're not my father." Cat Noir growled, his voice sounding distant as if he wasn't in the same place as the silver-haired man before him, "You're nothing to me Gabriel..."

A tiny flash of hurt crossed the man's silver blue eyes upon hearing this, almost a hint of humanity creeping back into him...only for him glare at his son.

"So be it, boy..." he said quietly, before drawing out a smoke bomb of his own. Chat Noir went to pounce on him, only for the older Agreste to slam it onto the ground, making it explode into a huge cloud of smoke.

Ladybug gasped at this and ran towards her partner, who was shoved to the ground by his father and the butterfly brooch was snatched from his black gloved hands. Chat Noir yelled angrily as he swiped his claws through the smoke, trying to get hold of his father as the smoke thickened.

"Rargh! C'mon out! You coward, fight back!" he yelled angrily as tears fell from his eyes.

But swipe as much as he wanted to, all he was doing was clawing at empty air. His supervillain father had disappeared, long gone before the smoke even started to clear up. Cat Noir wasn't even aware that he was alone as the smoke cleared, still clawing away at the air as if hoping he'd find his father somewhere. Ladybug just watched him with sadness in her blue eyes, feeling the pain and anger her partner was going through. The boy had a hard enough life as it was and now this. It was impossible not to feel for the feline-themed hero. She also felt disgusted with herself for even admiring Gabriel and his fashion designs. Well she was never going to buy another magazine with his evil face on it! Ladybug approached Cat Noir as the tearful, rage-filled teen still continued to claw at the air. The smoke had gone, showing very clearly that Gabriel was gone but Cat Noir didn't seem to notice.

"Cat? Cat! Calm down, please, he's gone!" Ladybug cried out, "You're just wasting your strength and energy! Please stop!"

Cat Noir seemed to hear his love for he stopped clawing at the air and let his tired arms hang down beside him, panting heavily. His shoulders heaved up and down as total despair took over him. He was no longer angry...just sad. He collapsed onto his knees and sobbed like there was no tomorrow. Batman stood by, feeling sorry for the boy but unsure of how to approach him. He wasn't the best with children and he didn't want to make Cat Noir feel worse. Ladybug knew what to do though. She knelt down beside her partner and embraced him, laying her head against his shoulder.

"It's OK...I'm here kitty." she softly whispered, "Let it all out. You'll feel much better afterwards."

Chat sniffled and tightened his eyes shut, his ears flattening against his curly blonde hair as he put an arm around his lady, his tears continuously falling like a waterfall as he felt all of his strength leave him, unable to hold it together anymore as he broken down into a sobbing fit. All along it was just a lie. Everything about his father being a busy body, it was nothing but a sickening, filthy lie. First his mother was gone and now this...he truly had no family left in the world.

Batman glanced up from the sad sight and took notice of the news helicopter above. While he knew very well it couldn't get any of the sounds that occurred on the ground, the whole of France and possibly the whole world was watching this from that helicopter's camera. Sometimes he was glad when stuff like this happened, with criminals being unmasked and exposed to the world, to be named and shamed. But now he was feeling very uncertain, given that the villain's child was in pieces, caught all on camera. He could only hope that the news wouldn't speculate why Chat was crying.

Sirens and flashing lights began to fill the whole part of the street, making Batman become more alert. Chat Noir shouldn't put up with the questions the police will be asking him and Ladybug, he needed sometime alone. He darted over to the two teens and gotten Ladybug by the shoulder.

"We have to go." he said in a firm tone, not wanting to sound harsh given the circumstances. The bluenette was about to retort, only to take notice of the incoming police cars, making her sigh and nod sadly as she began to help Chat up.

"Adrien...we need to go." she said softly, making him let out another sob as he staggered to his feet, his legs like jelly from the whole revelation.

Helping him up, Ladybug turned to Batman as he began to lead them off into the darkness away from the wrecked mansion.

"Where're we going?" she asked as the Dark Knight neared the fence.

"I know a place where we can talk. But you mustn't tell anyone else about it." he responded, earning a nod from her.

"Sure Batman, we'll keep our mouths closed on the matter." Ladybug promised, "We're all about keeping secrets. I mean Cat Noir kept his identity from me for a long time." she added, glancing down at her partner.

Cat Noir still seemed to be very far away. It was as if he was no longer in the real world, but in some parallel world trying to figure out how to get back to it. Ladybug wasn't even sure if he'd heard Batman a moment ago.

"So where are we going?" the spotty heroine asked curiously.

"You'll see when we get there." Batman said bluntly, not wanting to disclose his location when it was possible anybody could hear him, "Come on, we need to get out of the public spotlight for a bit."

Ladybug nodded agreeably as Batman leapt over the fence and headed off away from the Agreste Mansion. Ladybug and Cat Noir followed, though Cat Noir progressed slower than usual, a clear sign that the revelation behind Hawk Moth's identity was effecting his physical state as well as his mental state. As the trio left, the police approached the mansion and began to comb through the wreckage for any signs of its occupants. They would find the place very deserted, and the only people who could answer their questions were very far away at this point...as were the villains responsible for the carnage that had been left behind...

* * *

 _ **Yeah, what a surprise. Hawk Moth is Gabriel Agreste. It's dead obvious in the show so we decided to have the reveal happen here. And boy Cat Noir felt like he got a punch to the gut...:(**_

 _ **So where are our heroes going now? And what will happen now Hawk Moth and The Joker are still on the loose? This battle is far from over...and it's going to affect more than just France at this point...**_


	12. Chapter 11: Recovery Period

_Chapter 11: Recovery Period_

Ladybug and Cat Noir soon found out where they were being taken. As they followed Batman through the night-time streets of Paris, they saw that he was heading towards a nearby waterfront hotel, presumably the place he'd been staying in ever since he arrived in Paris. They recognised it, eyeing up the Hotel Le Louis sign that lit up to advertise itself in the darkness of the night. They had been to the hotel once before, enjoying their stay there much more than a stay at the Le Grand Paris hotel mainly because of the fact they didn't have to put up with Chloe Bourgeois while staying there. They supposed it was a good place for them to go after such a terrible revelation had come to light this night. The views of the River Seine would be comforting to the whole trio.

Batman landed on the roof of the hotel and let himself in through the emergency exit door set in one of the corners. Ladybug and Cat Noir followed him as the black-clad superhero led them down a flight of stairs that took them down to the corridors leading to the hotel's various rooms. Batman paused, making sure nobody was around, before moving silently down the corridor and entering his room. The French teens followed him in, looking around in amazement at the Dark Knight's room. The large amount of space, the enormous bed, the beautiful wallpapers made this room look fitting for not just one king, but possibly several kings all at once. They could only wonder just how rich Batman must be to be able to afford luxury like this!

"Wow...look at that!" Ladybug cried.

"This one room makes my mansion look poor in comparison." Cat Noir muttered.

"How are you able to afford this?! I mean your suit doesn't look cheap, neither do all your gadgets, and you're able to afford the best room in the Hotel Le Louis!" Ladybug exclaimed wildly.

"Let's just say that I've got enough, that's all you need to know." Batman said bluntly, "Given the luxuries and the amenities we have here, you'll be able to recuperate in five-star comfort. I thought you two deserved the best after...tonight's terrible revelations." he said, being careful about bringing up Hawk Moth's true identity again.

"It's wonderful Batman, thanks for bringing us here." the insect-themed heroine said brightly, "Given how late it is, we may need to sleep here tonight too. You OK with that?"

"It's not a problem at all." Batman said softly, "I've got room to spare so you'll be fine sleeping here too."

Ladybug smiled brightly and gave him a small nod.

"We're very grateful for this. Thank you, Batman." she said in a kind tone, to which Chat Noir offered a weak, yet genuine, smile.

"I second that." he said quietly, getting a curt nod from the Dark Knight, who then turned towards the door on the farthest side of the luxury room and headed towards it.

"I'll be in the room behind this door. Considering you know Adrien quite well, Ladybug, it's only fair that you comfort him alone." he said in his usual calm voice, though there was a hint of hesitance in his voice, almost seeming as if he wanted to say something else...but in saying something that he wanted to say under these circumstances would require Bruce Wayne, but Batman wasn't sure if he was really needed. Not yet at least.

Soon, the vigilante had left the room with only the sound of the door closing echoing throughout the room. A moment of silence filled the air, making the atmosphere a little tense. But both French superheroes knew the silence had to be broken in some way. And Ladybug knew very well how to approach the matter.

Sitting down beside her fellow masked friend, Ladybug curled her fingers around his hand, drawing Chat's attention and receiving his eye contact. Only sadness clouded those bright green eyes of his, but she was determined to wash that negative feeling away. She took hold of his hand and smoothed it, eyeing him softly.

"Chat...Adrien? D'ya mind if I take your ring off?" she asked softly.

She gotten a small shrug off her feline crime fighter, who glumly spoke.

"You know who I am now, so I guess it's only fair.".

With that confirmation given to her, Ladybug delicately slid off the silver ring from his middle right hand finger. The glow of green, dark magic sucked into the ring from his form and as soon as the ring reached his fingertip, the black costume of Chat Noir was gone, revealing Adrien Agreste in his normal look, his face still stained with tears and his eyes a lot more red than green. Plagg whirled out of the ring the split second it was removed, surprising Ladybug.

"O-Oh, wow! I...I take it your Adrien's Kwami?" she asked curiously.

Normally Plagg would be letting his ego get the better of him, he'd be all proud in declaration that he was the awesome Kwami ever and exclaim his name, before demanding cheese. But instead he gave a weak, comforting smile to Adrien, who was now looking at the red and black hand gently holding his exposed one.

"Yeah, I am. Normally I'm a bit more...laid back, but given what's just happened, I'm not gonna act like some douche. And really, Adrien needs you now more than ever." the black Kwami said in response, floating away to the windowsill to give the two some space.

Appreciating the Kwami's wise actions and words, Ladybug turned to Adrien and felt a little nervous. Sure,nit fully sunken in that Adrien was Chat Noir the whole time, but she now wasn't sure over how to approach him full on, especially on a subject as huge as this.

"So...you're Cat Noir huh?" Ladybug said meekly, "Heh, heh...I never would've guessed. In fact, nobody would've guessed! Although I remember Alya once thinking you looked like him. I never would've thought you was Cat Noir Adrien."

"I suppose I did a good job on concealing my identity then." Adrien mumbled.

He looked away, his red eyes looking empty and distant. Ladybug shook her head sadly. One could barely even begin to _imagine_ how it must feel for Adrien to find out his own father is Paris's biggest villain. Ladybug would never be able to put herself in the shoes of her love interest for she'd grown up knowing her parents for being loving, kind, supportive and fun. Adrien had a father who was cold and distant and now he learned more about him than he'd ever learnt in the past few years, and it had all been horrible things to learn. She couldn't even imagine what was going on in the teen model's head now.

"I'm so sorry about what's happened tonight Adrien." Ladybug said sympathetically, "We could never have guessed your dad was Hawk Moth and I know you're distraught by it. I can't imagine what it feels like but one thing I can say is that you can't let it eat at you like this."

"Easy enough to say Ladybug." Adrien sighed, "How can I possibly live with such horrible news? My own dad is Hawk Moth! How can I possible live with that in mind?! It's like...like..." he sighed for a moment before continuing, "...it's like my life's been a lie and what I know is a cruel joke! What if it turns out my best friend's a villain too?! What if it turns out you're a villain Ladybug?! I just don't know what to think anymore...is there a truth to anything I know or is everything in my life a lie?"

He sighed loudly again, his shoulders heaving as he thought back the urge to sob again. He now felt an overwhelming need to be looked after, by an actual parent who wasn't really a supervillain in disguise like his dad. For the first time in his life, he truly felt helpless and pathetic.

"I wish my mother was here now...she'd be able to take some of the weight off my shoulders..." he muttered feebly.

Ladybug had to fight off the tears that were threatening to cascade from her eyes. Adrien was really at a hopeless stage in his life, especially with half the things he just said. It was partially true, but only partially. And Ladybug was going to make sure that he was wrong. She took his left cheek in her hand and delicately smoothed it, gently turning his head towards her own.

"Adrien, believe me when I tell you this. Not everything in your life is a lie. None of your friends are villains and neither am I. You have friends who care about you very deeply. There are people from your classroom that actually see you as an inspiration." she said warmly, though she was doing her hardest not to cry as well.

She honestly felt like screaming her heart out to him, to tell him how much she loves him and what he means to her. Adrien looked at her in confusion, though there was a tiny light in his eyes. An indication of hope possibly...

"But how would you know? N-No offence." he said quietly, not noticing Plagg smile as he sat on the windowsill.

He knew very well who Ladybug was, he just wanted Adrien to figure it out himself. As much as he pitied Adrien at the moment, he found it adorable with how clueless he was to Ladybug's identity. Then again, it's their magic that stops them from noticing any similarities. Perception filters as some scientist who disbelieved magic would call it.

Ladybug smiled warmly "For starters, Nino thinks your very cool and was the first ever friend you made at school. Ivan wants to be like you, given how, um...different he is. Max thinks your a great gamer, Juleka and Rose think your very clever. Adrien, everyone at school thinks your amazing in so many ways. Everyone there loves you so much for who you are. Not because your a model, or for your looks, or your money, but they love you for the person you are..."

Ladybug trailed off at that point and put a hand over her chest, feeling herself getting flustered and tried to ease her breathing, leaving Adrien further surprised. Not only did each person she brought up really did like him, but how she knew all of this, it left him bewildered beyond belief.

"S-Sorry, I get emotional at times like this." Ladybug stuttered, trying to hide her Marinette side for the time being.

Adrien smiled a bit more brighter, finding her nervousness very cute.

"Well...you do have a point...they're probably one of the few things I have in my life worth caring about and vice versa..." he quietly said, trying to make a bit more sense but failing to do so.

Ladybug beamed back, pleased she was bringing some light back into the boy. She smoothed his shoulder with her other hand, easing his nerves "They're your real family, Adrien. They won't ever lie to you and nor will they betray you. Neither will I..." Ladybug said quietly, looking down at her feet shyly, her cheeks turning scarlet pink.

Adrien noticed this and smiled softly, taking in the sight of his partner blushing. It was a very rare occasion she'd blush.

"Is everything okay, M'Lady?" he asked gently, trying to shove out the sniffles he was dealing with.

Ladybug smiled shyly and tried to avoid his gaze, though unable to do so. She couldn't hide behind her magical earrings any longer, not behind Ladybug. Marinette was needed more now than the black dotted heroine. Deciding now that the time was right, Ladybug stood up and positioned herself in front of Adrien. A part of her had yearned for a time like this, a soft voice in her head begging for her to reveal herself to the boy of her dreams. And now that time had come. The boy looked up from where he sat, wondering what was going to happen next.

"You know how you had a horrible revelation today?" Ladybug said tenderly, "Well I can reveal something wonderful to you to ease the pain. This may come as a shock to you but you'll find it a more pleasant shock than the one before."

"And that is...?" Adrien asked, curious to see where this was going.

"Who the girl behind this mask is." the heroine winked.

She removed her earrings, her costume and mask disappearing in a pink flash that lit up the room. Adrien gasped and shielded his eyes, even though the flash wasn't that dazzling. He felt a twinge of excitement in his stomach. He was finally going to learn who his beloved Ladybug was! He uncovered his eyes and watched as the flash died down, revealing none other than the true identity of his love...Marinette Dupain-Cheng. The blue-haired girl smiled shyly at Adrien, the boy staring back at her in disbelief. Marinette, the clumsy girl who was always tripping over her words and making a fool of herself in school was Ladybug?! The girl of his dreams had been in school with him the whole time?! He supposed that was the beauty of the disguise. Ladybug's personality was so unlike Marinette's that nobody in the world could've guessed that she was Paris's lucky-charm-themed heroine! A part of him was glad to see this for finding out the girl he'd been fawning over for months was one of his school friends was definitely an improvement over finding out who Hawk Moth really was. But another part of him still couldn't believe it.

"M-M-Marinette...? You're...?! But...how...I...wow...!" Adrien stammered.

"You're not horrified are you?" Marinette asked worriedly.

"Horrified?! Why would I be? This is incredible!" the millionaire teen exclaimed, "I mean, wow, who'd have thought YOU was really Ladybug the whole time?! You was the last person I could've suspected! I mean, holy crap this is amazing!"

"You're...happy with this?" the teen girl blurted, wondering for a moment if she'd just died and this was what heaven looked like.

Adrien felt his heart flash in warmth a bit, a huge shred of happiness coming through it too. He shyly rubbed the back of his neck, making a small smile.

"I...well...I don't know. Even though I least expected it to be you...I don't know, now that I know...I feel as if I can see it all now. I mean, there's the voice, both of your actions and attitude...Ladybug is kind, very kind, and so are you. Then there was you getting nervous around me as both yourself and Ladybug...oh Marinette, why couldn't I tell in the first place!?" he exclaimed, a brighter look coming up over his tear stained face.

Marinette was now jaw dropped in disbelief. Adrien was...happy about all this? That...that couldn't be! She expected him to be disappointed that his lady was nothing more than a clumsy bluenette girl that was the daughter of some baker. At least that was how she saw herself. But this response? Him being happy about her being Ladybug? It was...just brilliant!

But instead of throwing her arms around him and jumping for joy, Marinette let the tiniest of smiles cross her lovely features as she faced Adrien.

"Then...this whole time...you were in love with me...I was in love with you...but we didn't know it?" she asked mostly in a rhetorical way. Adrien giggled shyly in agreement, to which Plagg groaned.

"Love square all over again" he grumbled, earning a shove from Tikki.

"Oh don't complain about it! This is a lovely moment!" she squeaked fiercely, getting a sigh from the feline Kwami.

Marinette then felt a little uneasy as a sudden realisation came to her head. Adrien was Chat Noir, who loved Ladybug. As herself and as Ladybug, she loved Adrien, but not Chat. But was Adrien still seeing her as who she was and not with the earnings? She now felt a bit worried. Her eyes wavered and it caught Adrien's attention.

"M-Mari? What's wrong?" he asked nervously, his voice dropping in tone again. Marinette glanced to the side nervously and suppressed a gulp.

"Adrien...do you...see me as me? Or are you still looking at me as if I was still Ladybug?" she responded in an equally nervous tone, leaving him stunned.

He could tell what she meant, but there was not even a slight way it was true. His lifetime goal was finding out who Ladybug was, so he could get to know the girl behind the mask.

He gently took her smaller hands into his bigger ones and caressed them gently with his thumbs.

"Marinette...ever since I met Ladybug, I wanted to find out who she was really...and it turns out that one of my best friends is her. I know you, Marinette: your kind, creative, clever, friendly, beautiful...you're one of the few things why I keep going to school everyday. Whenever your around, I feel so at ease. And to find out that Ladybug is you...it's just wonderful."

The French girl began to wonder if she had even heard Adrien correctly. She had to have misheard him, he did not just say what she thought he'd just said! Did he? It was all so overwhelming in the best possible way as she took all of this in. Beaming widely, Marinette finally did what she had wanted to do for months. She threw her arms around Adrien and embraced him tenderly.

"Adrien...you just made my night." she whispered gleefully.

"You just made mine too...m'lady." Adrien winked in response, patting the girl's head happily.

As the two teens hugged together, Batman peeked around the side of the door and saw that things seemed to be looking up. He hadn't at all expected Ladybug to reveal herself to Adrien but it seemed that she had made the right choice in doing so. As stony as his heart often was, even he felt somewhat moved by the scene before him. Young love was something many people couldn't resist the charm of, no matter what kind of person you were. He closed the door and turned away.

"Looks like Ladybug's given Cat Noir the thing he needs to get over tonight's events." he mused, "Pretty brave of her to reveal her identity like that. I commend her for that."

Little did he know, an old friend had listened in on the conversation as well. And the elderly man felt it was best he make his opinion get into the clearing.

"Master Bruce, I think Mister Agreste is going to need more than the love of his, um, lady friend to help him recover." Alfred's elderly voice spoke from inside the com, all the way back home in Wayne Manor.

Batman suppressed a sigh, taking a seat on the bed in the room and looking over his equipment and tech as he began to get it all up.

"Don't you trust them, Master Bruce?" The voice of his oldest friend came again, making the vigilante shake his head.

"I do trust them, Alfred, it's just what can I offer Adrien Agreste? How can I comfort him?" he replied, keeping his voice low so as not to attract attention from the other room

"You know the answer to that deep in your heart sir. He might not have suffered the fate you suffered that night in Crime Alley, but deep in your heart you know what to do. I'll let you think on it." Alfred replied, not a hint of sarcasm in his old voice, but now a soft tone of reasoning and wisdom. Batman pondered for a moment, thinking hard about what Alfred had said.

"I suppose, you do have a point Alfred." he murmured, "Me and Adrien could be considered similar in terms of what we are as people and superheroes. We're both incredibly wealthy and we take up costumed identities to fight crime. And we're both effected by something dark and troubling in a way. I've got my parents' deaths, he's got the knowledge that his dad is a supervillain. Maybe...there is something I can offer in return."

"There is indeed Master Wayne. I know it, and you know it too old friend." the butler replied with a smile, "So will you offer your two cents then Bruce?"

"I suppose it'd be cold-hearted of me if I said no." Batman agreed, "I'll go talk to him now. In fact...I've got some kind of idea on what I could do to make things better for him."

"An idea you say? What may I ask is that idea then?" Alfred asked inquisitively.

"I'll tell you afterwards. I'm gonna bring it up to Adrien and Marinette first and then I'll tell you." the vigilante responded, "I'll be back shortly Alfred." he added, switching off the communication device.

He exhaled and his hands rested on his own shoulders, just pondering on how exactly he was going to handle this. As mentioned earlier, Batman couldn't be of help to Adrien here. Bruce Wayne was in more need than his dark alter ego, and now was the time for him to remove the cowl.

Standing up and heading over to the door, Batman twisted the doorknob downwards and pulled the door open, finding Adrien and Marinette in each other's arms, talking quietly with each other. He had to resist letting the tiniest smile creep onto his face, given he was about to go onto a serious subject with the blond boy, who glanced up and noticed him, causing Marinette to turn to him as well. Both were quite surprised to see the dark vigilante back in the room, but that didn't stop a certain feline Kwami to fly away from the windowsill and squealed in delight.

"Oh my friggin goodness! The Batman himself is in the house!" Plagg exclaimed in joy, almost making the Dark Knight jump in surprise. For a split second he thought Catwoman literally had kittens!

That was when Tikki flew out from her hiding spot and grabbed Plagg by his little arms.

"Plagg, they're all having a moment here, don't bother them!" she berated, dragging him back to the windowsill, where they hid themselves behind the blinds. Marinette giggled along with Adrien, who looked at the near dumbstruck Batman.

"That's our Kwamis. The cat one is called Plagg, he's mine" he informed politely.

"And the red one is Tikki. She's mine" Marinette added, before her eyes widened in surprise as she realised Batman was now looking at her.

"It's fine. Didn't mean to be an eavesdropper, but I overheard everything between you and Adrien, Marinette." Batman quickly beaten her to it after recovering from that brief surprise. That was when he cocked his head as his memory became clearer from much earlier in the day.

"In fact, I think I've met you already." he noted, now leaving her more surprised.

"Get serious!" Marinette gasped, "I don't recall ever seeing you outside of my Ladybug costume! What makes you think we met earlier?"

"Remember that guy you bumped into on your way to school this morning?" Batman questioned.

Marinette paused for a moment, surprised at the question. Why would Batman ask such a thing? Adrien glanced over at her quizzically, wondering where this conversation was going. Could it be there was more than met the eye right now?

"Marinette? What's he talking about?" the teen model asked.

"This morning, I ran into somebody on my way to school." the baker's daughter informed, "Just outside of my bakery too. Was...was that you Batman?" she asked, the light bulbs in her head flashing as an idea came to her at last.

"Yes, yes it was." Batman confirmed, "I was in disguise so nobody would recognise me as I went to the airport to track down The Riddler. So in a way, we kinda met outside of our costumes."

"And just like how I never knew Adrien was Cat Noir, I never thought for a minute it was you..." Marinette mused, "So is it your turn to reveal your identity or something?"

"I don't do this often but given what Adrien's been going through, I feel that it would be better if I spoke to him as who I really am rather than the masked man that stands before you." the Gotham crime fighter explained, "You mustn't tell anybody once I reveal my face to you two. Promise me you'll keep this secret to yourselves, OK?"

"Deal!" Marinette said eagerly, "I wouldn't dream of exposing your identity!"

Adrien gave him a smile, "Your secret is safe with me and Marinette, Batman. Our lips will be sealed." he gestured his fingers going over his mouth as if he was zipping it up.

Batman made a small smile at this, before exhaling as he reached his hands up to his cowl. He gave it a slight wriggle to the left and to the right, hearing it make a clicking sound as it disconnected from the cape, before he steadily lifted it off. He would always remember the times of whenever he did unmask himself, with Dick, Jason, and Tim looking mind blown from the unmasking event...then Superman ruined their moment when he used his x-ray vision on him in their first first meeting.

But that awe inspiring feeling filled the room once more. The cowl came off and Marinette and Adrien could only look on in shock and awe as they saw the dark haired man standing before them, his deep chocolate eyes full of wisdom and slight nervousness as he rested the cowl between his hip and wrist. Adrien pointed a finger at him with a slightly confused look on his face.

"You...you look familiar...I think I saw a photo of you on a news website one time..." He trailed off, unable to put his finger on it.

Bruce couldn't help but smile in slight pleasure. Given they were young and weren't residents of Gotham, they were bound to ponder even more at who he was. Chuckling slightly, he gave them a little nod.

"My name is Bruce Wayne. Owner of Wayne Enterprises and citizen of Gotham City. Ring a bell?" he asked with a tiny smirk on his handsome features.

"Wayne Enterprises..." Adrien mused thoughtfully.

"I can't say I'm too familiar with it." Marinette said, shaking her head slightly, "But I definitely have heard the name before. It's some kind of big company."

"That's right." Adrien said, snapping his fingers as a realisation came to his head, "It covers many fields like medicine and technology. So you're the guy in charge of the company then...Bruce Wayne is it?"

"I am indeed." Bruce replied, "And I'm always proud with how well I manage to keep up the pretence that I'm merely a billionaire CEO of a big company with years of history behind it. Nobody ever suspects that I'm secretly the Dark Knight himself."

"It certainly seems to work, I mean I don't think anybody knows who you are!" the French girl exclaimed.

"Well, only a few have ever deduced my identity..." Wayne murmured, thinking bitterly of foes such as Hugo Strange and Bane, the ones who had managed to deduce his identity over the many years he'd been crime-fighting, "But I've never been publicly revealed. And I hope to keep it that way."

Marinette beamed at him and nodded in agreement.

"Can't blame you. That's what me and Adrien are gonna make sure of. Though, no offence Mr Bruce, but why exactly did you choose to unmask yourself to us?" she asked politely, keeping her hands behind her back to further show how respectful she was being.

Smiling at how she behaving, Bruce placed the cowl on the windowsill and looked at her and Adrien with a soft look in his eyes.

"Because I want to fully build a bridge of trust between us. You two are good hearted and trustworthy enough as it is, so it's only fair I reveal myself. That and Batman can't help Adrien get through what he's witnessed tonight." he explained as he then took a seat beside a surprised Adrien, who looked at him in slight confusion along with Marinette.

Bruce sighed and looked thoughtful as he glanced down at his hands. He was mostly comfortable with Alfred, Dick, Tim and Clark in talking about this issue...he just had to reach that line with Adrien, whom he looked at.

"Adrien, you and I aren't that different. I want you to know that." He said softly, to which the blond boy nodded "I can already see the similarities. Both quite rich, keep it a well hidden secret, got darker but heroic alter egos and fight crime." he replied "Almost two peas in a pod as the British would say. But if anything...I know what it's like, to lose a parent." Bruce responded, his voice going firm as his eyes locked with Adrien's, which widened.

"You mean your parents..." he trailed off and Bruce beaten him to it.

"No, they didn't turn evil, fortunately...but when I say I lost them...I won't ever be able to see them again..." Bruce's reply was filled with sadness as his eyes traced to the window, remembering those two awful gunshots in Crime Alley that changed his life forever. Marinette looked nervous at this point.

"If you two need a moment..."

"No!" both spoke in unison, though not in anger, but in reassurance.

Marinette stopped in her tracks, relieved to hear that the two male heroes didn't want her to go. She began to feel more part of the group as a result.

"Thanks guys, I was fearing I'd be left out given I can't really relate to your two's situation." the bluenette said uneasily.

"You could never be left out with us Marinette." Adrien said kindly, "You can stay with us. The three us could be like one happy family together for the night."

"Interesting way of putting it." Bruce said with a nod, "Can't say I've ever imagined what it'd be like to be a dad."

The two French teens snickered in response to Wayne's joke. They never would've thought that the man who masqueraded as Batman could actually be funny like this. It was clear to them just how much of a disguise Bruce Wayne was for Batman. Brushing off their humorous responses, Bruce's eyes taken on a serious look as he looked at Adrien, ready to reveal the all too well known part of his story.

"Adrien...when I lost my parents all those years ago...my world turned dark and I felt like I fell to the bottom of a pitch black pit, with nothing but darkness and mud when I hit the bottom. My mother and father...they were the world to me, but one night two bullets ended their lives on this world. I honestly thought I'd never be able to escape the darkness...but I did. That night exposed me to how horrible my city really was; I saw the true face of Gotham City that night, with it being cruel, cold, and almost evil. And it was only after my parents died that I realised others were ending up in similar situations to my own."

He paused for a bit and clenched the bed sheets, suppressing any sort of tear that would cascade down his face. He had to be strong for Adrien, and crying wouldn't help make it better. Feeling the heavy weight leaving his chest, Bruce opened his eyes and continued on talking to a stunned Marinette and Adrien.

"I couldn't let that happen to anyone. I vowed that I would make sure no one would ever suffer what I suffered that night. It could turn you into all sorts of things...so I turned myself into a demon of the dark to protect the innocent. And my promise extends to those I consider my friends. From Alfred, to Superman, and now to you, Adrien."

He gently patted the blond boy's shoulder and looked at him once more, a comforting softness on his face.

"Adrien, I don't want you to end up like me. You won't believe what else I went through to become Batman. Don't let the darkness of your father's actions fully consume you, Adrien. It'll make you have too much of a bleak outlook on life itself if you let it."

"I think Batman has a good point Adrien." Marinette added, putting a hand on the boy's other shoulder, "Don't let what you've learnt today tear you apart. You're still young and have some innocence left in you. All Batman wants is for you to hold onto that side of you."

"She's right." Bruce confirmed, "I lost my innocence the day my parents died. I don't want you to lose yours while you're still young."

Adrien fell silent as he took all of this in. His face looked distant and thoughtful as he mulled over everything he'd been told. It was surprising to see that he and Bruce had much in common, even down to being troubled by something involving their parents. He also thought that Bruce was a lot more selfless than he thought he was. Many stories he'd heard about Batman portrayed him as being completely stone-faced and cold-hearted, and not always in the best way. But the stories were wrong. Batman had a heart and seemed to know how to use it. And it showed tonight just how much he cared for the people he protected from the villains that threatened to tear the world apart. His heart-to-heart with Adrien had shown that very clearly.

The blonde teen thought about how the billionaire didn't want him to end up like him. Maybe despite what had happened, he could still hold onto his innocence and let some light shine on him. His dad being Hawk Moth didn't have to destroy him forever. He could be stronger than his father and not let his emotions transform him into something he wasn't and never wanted to be. That was how his father had ended up the way he was. Adrien looked over at both Bruce Wayne and Marinette Dupain-Cheng, smiling brightly at the two.

"I needed that, guys. I...I can't thank you both enough." he said gratefully, feeling that heavy sadness leave his chest.

"Aww Adrien, you're welcome!" Marinette squealed excitedly, hugging her crush tightly, "I'm always happy to help a friend in need!"

"And I'm always happy to help whenever I can." Bruce added, "Which is why I've got a proposition for you two. It's something that could further help Adrien recover from tonight's events."

"R-really?" Adrien stammered, unable to believe what he was hearing. Never in his life had he had somebody want to help him and make him happy like this since his mother had disappeared. It was really amazing to be getting so much generosity from two different people in one night!

"Really." the secret crime fighter said, "I thought it'd help if you got away from your father for a while. Maybe spent a week or two out of the country to let the horrors of tonight wash away. So I propose that I take you and Marinette home to my mansion, Wayne Manor, for a short stay to allow you to recuperate in peace. A short vacation if you will."

The two teens were so gobsmacked that they could barely speak for a moment.

"You mean...take us...to your home? Your home...in...the actual Gotham City?!" Marinette exclaimed.

"The very city you prowl through in the night to protect its people from crime and death?!" Adrien blurted in surprise.

"That is exactly it." Bruce confirmed, "But don't worry about Gotham. Wayne Manor is the absolute safest place you can possibly be. You won't be in any danger there."

Marinette looked a little unsure at first "I don't know, Mr Bruce...with all that's happened here, my parents might be a little unsure about me suddenly going off across the Atlantic..." She trailed off, raising a very good point. Bruce looked neither disappointed nor insulted. Instead he had an understanding look on his face.

"I understand, Marinette. If I were you, give them a ring and talk to them about what's happened. Don't tell them about me being Batman though." he said, his voice going firm as he finished his sentence.

She waved her hands in a reassuring manner, "Don't worry, I won't spill. Though I'll try to come up with a good story about how your involved in this." the bluenette replied, getting a nod off the unmasked vigilante.

"You could say I'm a business partner of the Agreste company and I've come to take Adrien away to help him get better." he suggested, earning a click of fingers from a beaming Marinette.

"That might work. Alright, I'll call them up and see what they have to say."

She quickly fished her mobile phone out of her pocket and dialled her parents's number to call them and inform them of the trip that Bruce Wayne had in mind. As she gave the call, Adrien looked over at the Wayne Enterprises CEO, his head in a whirl over the offer he'd been given. He hadn't been on many trips outside of France so this was a very exciting yet scary thing to think about.

"I could be one of the only kids in France who gets to see Batman's home turf!" Adrien exclaimed, "When you say it out loud, it sounds kinda cool! But given Gotham's said to be a hellhole, it could be kinda freaky too. But you say Wayne Manor's safe and of course I trust you on that. I shouldn't worry about meeting guys like Mr. Freeze or Two-Face while I'm there eh?"

"If you stay in the manor at all times until it's time to take you back home, you won't meet any of my foes." Bruce promised, "Most of them are locked up now anyway so we shouldn't come across any of them with any luck."

Adrien nodded agreeably. He began to wonder what his school friends would think if they could hear this now. He, Adrien Agreste, going to Gotham with Bruce Wayne himself! It was certainly something that not many people would ever get the chance to experience. He then glanced back at Marinette and smiled as another thought when through his head. If her parents approved, then he certainly wouldn't be going over the Atlantic alone...

* * *

Meanwhile, just on the outskirts of Paris, just at the end of the long river, a tiny little purple Kwami groaned as he steadily opened his eyes, which looked exhausted and near lifeless, resting in someone's hand. This was Nooroo, the butterfly Kwami and therefore the soul of the butterfly Miraculous. Nooroo was too weak to fully emerge when Chat Noir removed the Miraculous, hence why he didn't come forth when Hawk Moth was unmasked at last. His weak eyes gazed up into the cold blue ones of his master, none other than Gabriel Agreste. He scowled down at the poor magical creature he held, not caring at how bad his health was.

"Look at you Nooroo, such a pathetic, sad sight." the villainous fashion designer scoffed, "You can perk yourself up right this minute for I'll need to become Hawk Moth once more!"

"S-sorry master..." the butterfly-esque kwami grunted weakly, "You've...used me quite consistently lately...and haven't...given me a rest. I...need to recharge...before you can power up...again."

The response he got was devoid of any mercy or care as Gabriel's steel eyes hardened at his kwami slave.

"There is no time to rest you miserable creature!" he snapped, "Ladybug and Cat Noir know who I am now, as does Batman! They could be searching for me right now! I need to power up so I'll be able to fight them should they find me! I can't afford to waste time waiting for you to rest!"

"Sheesh, and I thought I was cruel! You're making me look kind and gentle in comparison!" hooted the voice of the ranting man's clown-themed partner.

"You be quiet Joker, you're just giving me a headache at this point!" Gabriel retorted.

Standing in the shadows nearby, relishing the harsh, unrelenting treatment that Gabriel was giving Nooroo, the Joker just snickered at his partner. He'd been doing that a lot since the two villains had escaped from the heroes at the Agreste Mansion and wound up here. They were hiding in a small house that was supposed to be occupied but wasn't. The residents that owned the house had gone on a holiday for a week and hadn't returned yet so The Joker and Hawk Moth were able to hang out here as long as they needed. And given all of France would be hunting down Gabriel to lock him up for his crimes as Hawk Moth, the two villains would have to hide here for a very long time.

"So, Gabe my dear fashion boy, doing all this for your wife, eh? Ha, and I thought me and Harley had a weird thing going in the love spectrum!" the Joker snickered, making Gabriel pinch his forehead in irritation.

He turned to the purple suited clown and pointed at the tired looking Nooroo he had clutched in his hand "I told you to find some food for this miserable excuse of a servant, Joker, haven't you bothered yet?" he said, resisting the urge to yell in case some neighbours could hear him. The Joker simply shrugged and pulled open a cupboard, exposing several snacks ranging from chocolate to crisps and packaged rolls.

"Help yourself, designer man, feed that little dolly of yours." he chuckled as he grabbed a chocolate bar and tossed it at the silver haired man, who caught it with an outstretched hand.

Nooroo made one of the most tiniest of glares he could muster, aiming it at the Joker.

"I'm not a dolly, you monster. Don't think your jokes...can hide the evil that you are. You're...even worse than Gabriel" he managed to get out, making the Joker shrug carelessly with the words having little effect on him.

"Blah blah blah, I've heard the same thing over and over again. The fact that it's coming from a plushie is amusing. Then again, I find almost everything amusing, HA HA HA HA!" he laughed, making both Gabriel and Nooroo cringe in annoyance.

"For the last time be quiet! We don't need the neighbours hearing us!" Gabriel almost yelled as he finished unwrapping the chocolate bar and shoved it into Nooroo's tiny little hands.

The poor Kwami was almost determined to not eat it, not wanting the give the power of the butterfly Miraculous back to Gabriel, who gave him a sickening glare.

"Eat it. Now" he hissed, making the Kwami gulp as he began to nibble away at the chocolate bar.

Sighing, Gabriel adjusted his glasses as he began to speak again "So what's the plan now then, Joker? I'm out of options considering the whole Paris will be searching for you and me, though me in particular." he pointed out.

The Joker just snorted as if Gabriel had asked him a stupid question. It was a curious sound, making him sound like a warthog more than a human being.

"Seriously four eyes, you ask me that as if I'm the kind of guy who has ideas! Do I look like the guy with a plan?" he jeered, "Ha, ha, ha! And I thought MY jokes were bad! Plans are for saps! I just do what I like and make up shit as I go! That's the fun part isn't it?!"

Trying not to lose his patience, Gabriel responded.

"Then how about you make up our next step as you go before we get any cops banging on our door?!" he hissed venomously.

"Eeesh, and I thought Batman was a grumpy bastard!" The Joker snickered, "You seriously need anger management classes Gabe-y! HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA!"

After he stopped laughing, he suddenly dropped his voice low and lowered his smile, as if trying to look more serious. Gabriel hesitated, wondering what was going to happen next. He never knew what to expect when The Joker had this mood swings.

"In all seriousness though clothes boy, I actually do have an idea of sorts." The Joker purred, "We can run away from this country and hide somewhere for a while. I think my "beloved" Gotham City would be a good place to hide! And I'm sure there's something we could do to cause some chaos that might catch our enemies's attention. Something to draw them out and bring them to us so we can capture their Miraculouses! You interested now Hawk-y?"

Gabriel looked thoughtful for a moment, rubbing his sharp chin in deep thoughts. While he hated to admit it, Gotham City slightly unnerved him. It was the pure opposite of Paris, being dark, terrifying, full of crime and misery...but part of his soul screamed for seeing such a thing. To size upon the miserable people that Paris couldn't conceive...he could Akumatise more than one person in a day. To see more criminal masterminds than his own greatly fascinated him. That and luring his son and Ladybug out into the darkness of Metropolis's mirror city was a good plan in the process of things. But then another thought crossed his mind.

"Even though that's a rather promising idea, don't you think that's a little risky? Most of Batman's accomplices work there, and Superman is stationed across the river from Gotham." Gabriel pointed out as Nooroo continued to much away at the chocolate bar a little quicker, unable to resist his hunger pains any longer.

The Joker waved his hand casually as if he was brushing off some dirt on his clothes.

"Oh my dear birdman fashion man, as long as I'm around, Batman wouldn't dare let those kiddos come after me. He loves them too much. He won't even let Superman come after me, because he cares oh so much about his dear children and super friends, hehehe!" he chuckled, not noticing the interest grow in Gabriel's eyes.

"Hmm...yes. I suppose you do have a point, my dear nutty comedian. I noticed he came dashing to rescue my son and Ladybug when they battled you at the hotel." he noted sharply, getting a casual shrug off the green haired loony.

"Well, that's the whole thing between me and Bats. It's always been between me and him, as how it should be...that almost sounds wrong." the Joker quickly noted, before clapping his hands together and let out another laugh, almost startling Gabriel.

"Ha! Well what are we waiting for!? Let's book the flights and go Geronimo!" he declared, only for Gabriel to grip his shoulder.

"Can I remind you that we'd need disguises to get into the planes? Given you managed to reach Paris without getting noticed by security, I suppose you still have some form of disguises left?" He suggested with a cock of his bony faced head.

"Ha, ha, ha! Why Gabriel, do I seriously look like the kind of guy who only has one disguise?" The Joker snorted, "One disguise will only get you so far until people start noticing the coincidences and start forming the patterns. I have plenty more, though whether they meet your needs or not, you'll have to see for yourself. I'm sure I have an outfit that'll suit you."

Gabriel just sighed. At this moment, he didn't even care if The Joker wanted to make him wear something silly. He'd even willingly put on a dress if it meant getting past security! He just longed for this all to be over so he could get the Miraculouses and dispose of his annoying comrade. The Joker may well be a pain in the neck, but he knew for a fact that it'd be worth it if it would lead to him getting what he wanted. He ran a hand over his hair, seemingly making sure it was still slicked back.

"Then let's find ourselves a good disguise that'll get us past the airport security." he said softly.

"And then we'll be on our way to Gotham, where mayhem will ensue and Batman will be forced to come after us!" The Joker cackled.

The Joker then pulled open his coat began to pull multiple stuff out of his many hidden pockets, at which Gabriel raised his eyebrow at.

"Mind if I enquire on who exactly makes your clothes, Joker?" he asked curiously, to which the clown blew a raspberry.

"Pffft! Wouldn't have a clue! Now where was I? Ah yes..." He chuckled as he pulled out a vicious pair of tweezers and clicked them together, "Might need to tear out a bit of that hair of yours, dear old chap!" he cackled, making Gabriel smooth his hair nervously.

Nooroo couldn't help but feel he was going to be in for a treat to see his master undergo a nasty makeover...

* * *

Back at the hotel, Marinette was finishing her conversation with her parents on her phone. Adrien approached her from behind with a concerned look on his handsome features as she pocketed the phone away, turning to him with a bright look on her face.

"Everything okay with them?" Adrien gently asked, to which she nodded.

"Yeah, though they did say they'll come out after us in the next day or two. When I told them where we'd be staying, they said it be best they follow on. I can't blame them for wanting to get out of Paris for a bit." Marinette explained, her tone going quieter as she finished the sentence.

"Given what a crazy night we've had, I can't say I blame them too." Adrien said, hoping that what he'd said hadn't come out wrong, "The Joker, The Riddler, my dad turning out to be Hawk Moth...it'd make anyone wanna leave the country for a bit."

"That's partially why they're OK with me going with you and Bruce." Marinette confirmed, "I'll worry about them while they're there but I know that like us, they'll be safe in Wayne Manor. Bruce says it's safe and we have no reason to doubt him."

"Given he lives there, he obviously knows how much of a sanctuary his mansion can be." Adrien agreed, "I wonder what it's like?"

"Big, grand and glorious no doubt!" Marinette piped, "I wonder if it's like a palace of some kind."

"You'll see for yourselves when you get there." Bruce put in.

As Marinette had been on the phone, he'd changed out of his Batsuit and was now wearing a more casual outfit consisting of a loose t-shirt, jeans and a woollen waistcoat. The clothes definitely made him look more civilian than his Batsuit did.

"So I guess your parents accepted my invite?" Bruce inquired.

Marinette smiled brightly, giving him a nod.

"They did. They were a little unsure at first, but they'll be more at ease when they come on over to Gotham" she said kindly, getting a smile off the older man in the room.

"Well I'm pleased. I can only hope they'll be alright during their stay." he replied, getting a gentle wave off of Marinette.

"I'm sure they'll love it, Bruce. They are respectful people, I can tell you that." she assured, getting a chuckle off of him, glad to see such brightness in a young girl.

"Um, I just wanted to know though, Bruce. What's going to happen to the Riddler? I mean, how can you get him back to Gotham without bringing him aboard your private jet?" Adrien then brought up, rubbing the back of his head to further make how hard it seemed. Bruce glanced over into the room behind him and chuckled.

"Don't you worry, I've got a few of my friends coming over to collect him. No one will know exactly he ends up back in Arkham, not even Nygma." he reassured.

"That's handy for us." Marinette said brightly, "I'd honestly feel a lot more comfortable with that freak as far away from Paris as..."

She suddenly paused and stretched as a loud yawn came out of her lungs. Adrien yawned as well, something that came naturally given the contagious nature of yawning. It only just occurred to the two how tired they actually felt. It was very late and they'd been out for hours. The weight of the night's events had caught up to them and now they had an overwhelming desire to just sleep. Bruce could see this and he approached the two.

"You're both tired I see. Don't worry, you'll get plenty of rest on my plane." he reassured them, "There's a couple of beds that you two can occupy. The flight from France to Gotham is a long one so you'll have all the time you need to rest."

"That sounds great..." Marinette paused to stifle another yawn, "I really am ready for a sleep after all that."

"You don't mind us taking one of the beds on your plane right?" Adrien asked respectfully.

"Not at all. That's why I'm offering you two one." Bruce replied kindly, "Come now, let us be on our way."

Opening the door for them, Bruce gestured they go out first. Marinette took hold of Adrien's hand and gave him a loving smile, which he gratefully returned. As they made their way out of the room, with Bruce following very closely, closing the door behind him. Sleep was on their minds and the bed on the plane was calling for them, ready to embrace them for the night and give them warmth and comfort.

Tonight had been dark and full of grim events, but tonight, the heroes would sleep in comfort and luxury, just the thing they needed to let the horrors of the night wash away...

* * *

 _ **How nice of Batman to take Marinette and Adrien to his humble home for recovery. ^^**_

 _ **But there's no rest for the weary I'm afraid. The Joker and Hawk Moth are planning to come to Gotham! What will happen when they get there? One thing's for sure, Gotham's in for its worst nightmare...**_


	13. Chapter 12: Gotham's Worst Nightmare

**Chapter 12: Gotham's Worst Nightmare**

The flight to Gotham felt as if it had been going on forever. For the French teens who were secretly costumed superheroes protecting Paris from the evil akumas of Hawk Moth, this was a new experience for them as neither Marinette or Adrien had ever travelled so far before. They were just thankful they were travelling in 5-star luxury thanks to Bruce Wayne's private plane that was accustomed to his very strict needs. Thanks to the soft beds and carpeted floors of the interior, Marinette and Adrien barely even acknowledged the fact they were on a plane and hundreds of feet in the air. They had slept through much of the journey, the events of last night catching up to them so fast that once the plane had taken off, they had fallen asleep almost immediately.

They had slept for so long that the journey had passed by and when the two had finally woken up, they had been surprised to hear that they would be there in a couple of hours. That time had been spent with the two teens chatting to each other, mostly about what they enjoyed the most about their superhero lives and their abilities. Bruce Wayne had kept to himself, thinking that it would be best if he let the two interact with one another without him getting involved. He couldn't help but smile at the two, seeing how close they really were. It reminded him of Tim Drake, the current Robin, and how close he was to one of his fellow comrades, Stephanie Brown. Young love in superhero costumes, that was what he thought about them.

He might be a real hard guy, but it didn't stop him from finding certain things cute.

The vibration of his phone, however, pulled him out of that thought and he instantly opened it after seeing who it was that was ringing him.

"Hello Barbara. Anything you've got to say?" he asked quietly as he retreated into his private quarters on the plane, where a good load of computer work had been set up. The Bat just wouldn't take a break, would he?

"I can see you'll be landing shortly. I thought of waiting to tell you when you gotten back, but I think it's best you hear it now." came the reply of the brainy crime fighting girl, a sharp tone to her ever so calm voice.

"What is it?" Bruce asked in a levelled tone, not really liking what he was going to hear.

"Well, Mr Agreste might've kept a secret about being Hawk Moth but he seems to be a bit stupid. I've been keeping watch of his data activities and I saw he used his credit card on a machine in a French airport. That was three hours ago in our time." Barbara informed him, making Bruce's eyes widen slightly.

"You have any idea if Joker was with him? Tapped into any security cameras?" he questioned once more.

"I did but given this is Joker he's working with, they both probably got one of the best disguises out there to slip past security. Even I couldn't spot anything out of line. But they could still be coming to Gotham, so you'll need to keep your eyes sharp" she responded, earning a nod from Bruce even though she couldn't see it.

"I'll have Dick keep a lookout at Gotham's airport when we get back. We'll be touching down shortly." he informed the redhead.

"Good. Glad to have you back home." Barbara replied with a hint of happiness in her voice, something of which Bruce smiled to.

"Glad to be home. Though I do miss Paris" he added with a chuckle, getting one out her too.

"Oh! Before you go, I gotten a good bit of info about the Miraculous and their items. It's something I'll have to share with you in person though, cos it contains a lot of details." she quickly added, getting an intrigued "Hmm" out of Bruce. Info about the Miraculous was definitely something he had to hear about.

"Sounds interesting. Alright, hopefully I'll see you at Wayne Manor, we'll talk about it there. Take care of yourself, Barbara." he said in a kind tone.

With that done, Bruce turned his phone off and gazed out of the window, casting a sharp look at the end of the plane. The Joker and Gabriel could only be a few hours behind them, and that meant they could strike at any moment. He'll be ready for them, and so would Adrien and Marinette.

"It maybe they know we're fleeing France now or it could be a coincidence." Bruce muttered, "Either way, those two are not going to stay in Gotham for very long."

He could already imagine Dick catching them at the airport and having The Joker arrested and escorted back to Arkham Asylum whilst Hawk Moth would be shipped back to France to pay for his crimes in the European country he'd just left. Comforting thoughts that much was certain but he knew just how dangerous it could be to let a comforting thought relax him. He'd only relax once he heard that Joker and Hawk Moth had been caught.

The thought of the two in Gotham was still on the Gotham vigilante's mind even as his plane touched down and he, Marinette and Adrien passed through the VIP Lounge and straight into his private limo. Alfred was the driver as usual and he had greeted Marinette and Adrien with a slight hint of enthusiasm in his usually calm, even voice.

"A pleasure to meet the heroes of Paris themselves." he had said, "I am Alfred Pennyworth, Master Bruce's butler and most trusted ally in his crusade against crime. I hope you two enjoy your stay with us."

"Thank you Mr. Pennyworth." Marinette said graciously, "It's nice to meet you."

"You're a lot more sociable than my bodyguard is." Adrien chuckled, "And less intimidating looking too."

"That maybe the case Master Agreste but I can tell you that there's a reason why I'm Master Bruce's most trusted ally." Alfred replied, his words sounding a little menacing but his tone still even so as not to frighten the teens, "I can be quite a force of nature if I need to be."

Adrien believed the butler. He knew too well on what it was like to see that people were more than what they seemed. Last night in particular had shown him that much with Hawk Moth and Ladybug's true identities. Alfred could be a skilled fighter or even a secret spy despite his harmless appearance as far as he knew. Alfred's hardened look then switched to a smirk and a wink.

"But I know a good person when I see one. So rest assured I won't bite you both." he chuckled, making Marinette and Adrien sigh in relief, actually pleased that the old man was just using a bit of humour. Bruce smirked as he got in, hearing the whole conversation.

"That's his sense of humour, so you can relax." he added as he put his seat belt on.

"Buckle up, it's a ten minute drive." he informed, making the two French teens follow suite as Alfred started up the limo, the old British man glancing back into the middle of the limo.

"Shall we give the two youngsters a tour of our ever so famous city, Master Bruce?" he asked with a hint of sarcasm etched back into his voice, making Bruce himself roll his eyes.

"They'll see most of the city as we drive through, Alfred. Besides, they're not here to see the gritty stuff." came his reply, gaining a slight chuckle out of the butler.

"Ever so serious you are, master Bruce. Still, off we go" he stated as he put his foot down slightly and the limo took off at a steady speed.

Bruce glanced out of the window and caught of his dark and grim city in the distance, it growing ever so slightly in size as they headed onto the road that would take them into Gotham. Marinette and Adrien followed his gaze and were quite surprised to see the dark city itself with their own eyes. Sure, they saw it countless times on the news but to actually see it in person gave them a taste of excitement and nervousness.

Alfred's hardened look then switched to a smirk and a wink "But I know a good person when I see one. So rest assured I won't bite you both" he chuckled, making Marinette and Adrien sigh in relief, actually pleased that the old man was just using a bit of humour. Bruce smirked as he gotten in, hearing the whole conversation "That's his sense of humour, so you can relax" he added as he put his seat belt on "Buckle up, it's a ten minute drive" he informed, making the two French teens follow suite as Alfred started up the limo, the old British man glancing back into the middle of the limo "Shall we give the two youngsters a tour of our ever so famous city, Master Bruce?" he asked with a hint of sarcasm etched back into his voice, making Bruce himself roll his eyes "They'll see most of the city as we drive through, Alfred. Besides, they're not here to see the gritty stuff" came his reply, gaining a slight chuckle out of the butler "Ever so serious you are, master Bruce. Still, off we go" he stated as he put his foot down slightly and the limo took off at a steady speed.

Bruce glanced out of the window and caught of his dark and grim city in the distance, it growing ever so slightly in size as they headed onto the road that would take them into Gotham. Marinette and Adrien followed his gaze and were quite surprised to see the dark city itself with their own eyes. Sure, they saw it countless times on the news but to actually see it in person gave them a taste of excitement and nervousness.

"Whoa! This is quite a place!" Adrien gasped as the limo passed through Park Row, "Look at this architecture! The buildings here are like nothing I've seen before!"

"I think I can guess where the name "Gotham" comes from." Marinette said with a humorous smile on her pretty face, "This place is the definitive example of gothic! And yet there's something quite...I dunno, fascinating about it? Words can't describe what this place is like..."

"If only Nino and Alya could've joined us Mari, they'd be geeking out like crazy!" the blonde teen cried out.

The bluenette giggled in response. Yes, it would've been funny to see how Nino and Alya would've reacted to the idea that they're in Gotham City right now. The Ladyblog would be updated with paragraphs of text written by Alya just expressing how exciting it is to be in Batman's home city! The sudden thought of her best friend suddenly made her realize just how far away from home she was. Marinette fell silent briefly as she thought back to the long flight from Paris to Gotham. It was as if she'd left her own world and landed in another, one so very different to her own. The sights and even the smells were nothing like Paris. Gotham was its own character, and one very different to the personality that made Paris so famous. She hadn't been in Gotham for even a day yet and already she was finding herself beginning to miss her home city. This, she supposed, was what it truly felt like to be homesick. Adrien could sense that something was wrong and he put an arm around the secret-superheroine.

"Don't worry Marinette, we'll come back to Paris soon. This is just for a little while." the teen said softly.

Marinette nodded. While it wouldn't stop her missing the City of Love, she wouldn't let it ruin this brief holiday with Batman and her crush. The teen girl would see to it that she enjoyed her stay. Glancing at Adrien, she put her arm around him in return.

"I know. It'll be great to tell everybody how it went and what it was like." Marinette said brightly, "You know, it's kinda funny when you think about it isn't it? Batman comes to our city and now Ladybug and Cat Noir come to his city!"

"Next thing you know we'll be getting a visit from Superman or Wonder Woman or even somebody like Green Lantern and then we'll be visiting places like Metropolis or whatever!" Adrien exclaimed, chortling with laughter.

"I wouldn't be too surprised if we even met Plastic Man at some point!" Marinette giggled in response.

"That guy will definitely give you a good laugh if you ever meet him, that much is certain." Bruce snickered, enjoying the joking that was going on between Marinette and Adrien about his super friends in the Justice League. One day soon, he'd let them meet the entire league when there wasn't anything to worry about. The two teens would certainly like that.

Alfred peered into the back in the mirror above him, smiling lightly at the sight he was witnessing. Oh how it reminded him of the early days of young master Dick Grayson back when he was only a young teenager like Marinette and Adrien. Tim Drake and Stephanie Brown brought a similar light feeling of that whenever they popped around. Jason...well, he was a different story altogether, one that many would be familiar with. Alfred just thanked the heavens that no mystery child of Bruce with a nasty attitude ever entered their lives. And he was hoping it would stay like that.

They then circled through the business centre of the gothic city, where Wayne Enterprises Tower stood tall and proud, being one of the few shining stars of Gotham either in the day or night. Adrien took notice of this and looked at Bruce.

"So, if you're the head of your own company, how can you manage the hours without giving anything away? Like, you must fall asleep at board meetings because their in the day and all." he pointed out. Bruce merely smirked and a very rare twinkle appeared in his eyes. It almost looked strange to see it there.

"Now that would be spoiling a bit too much of my training and skills, don't you think?" he noted, getting a chuckle out of the pair of teens. Bruce glanced out of the window and felt a tiny bit of gladness they didn't dare pass Crime Alley. It would've brought up too much bad memories and feelings for him, though he noted to himself he'd have to thank Alfred later.

Soon enough, they came across the large bridge that connected Gotham to the mainland and sure enough would take them to the less frightening area Wayne Manor was located in.

"We'll be arriving very shortly now." Bruce announced, almost sounding relieved to be saying those words.

Marinette and Adrien nodded in acknowledgement. They were looking forward to seeing Wayne Manor and were glad to hear they were nearly there. Bruce himself could feel the slight twinge of fear building up slightly in his gut as the journey was drawing to a close. He hadn't received any updates from Nightwing, indicating that Hawk Moth and The Joker hadn't been caught yet. Every moment that passed made it more and more likely they had slipped by his former Robin and he wouldn't be able to relax until he heard the good news. Why couldn't anything ever go right for once?! Over the years he had donned the Batman cowl, nothing ever seemed to go right in his lifetime, even when he was victorious. But he was still alive and kicking now so why worry about things going wrong again? He'd handled the worst of the worst so when push came to shove, he'd take on the two purple enemies and send them packing. But he would prefer it very much if he could just be content with the knowledge that he wouldn't have to deal with them right now, not when he was supposed to be helping Adrien recuperate from what had happened to him.

Then again, though, he had to have more faith in his old protege. If Joker and Gabriel had indeed sneaked onto a plane, they were most likely a few hours behind him and the two teens, and Dick would report something to him straight away if anything caught his eyes. Dick might've been more combat skilled and while he wasn't as smart as Tim, he was well trained in spotting anything out of the ordinary. He gazed out of the window and looked into the high open sky. Sometimes he was thinking if it was best he could get Clark to help him in this particular case. Sure, he often struggled against magic, but he himself was an incredibly smart person. But then it would be a lot of short notice to get the Man of Steel involved now. That and he had enough on his plate already.

Trying to put his worries to the back of his mind, Bruce was slightly stunned to find that they were coming onto the long driveway for Wayne Manor already. Goodness how time tends to fly in such a quick speed of things. Always his, and possibly everyone's, best frenemy.

Steering the limo to the right, Alfred parked it in the left hand corner of the manor and soon found himself coming to the rear end of the limo and started unpacking it of Bruce's belongings. Though he was old, Alfred's ears picked up on the awed gasps of Adrien and Marinette, making him peek over the corner to see how stunned they were. Ah, old memories and old feelings were creeping back into him yet again, as it was for Bruce as he stood by their sides. The two teens were clearly amazed at the sight of this huge, centuries old yet strangely majestic building he called home. Every time somebody new saw the place, they were amazed. Wayne Manor hadn't lost its charm.

"I do apologise if it looks a little gothic, but I can only hope this'll do for you both." he said kindly, to which Marinette nodded politely.

"It looks...just, wow. It looks old yet beautiful." she said in awe.

Adrien bowed his head in agreement, "Yeah. I like seeing stuff like this. Don't know how old it is, but it looks old enough and well looked after to still be here this day." he noted, gaining a chuckle out of Bruce.

"Well, wait till you see what's on the inside, Adrien. Also I hope your parents will like it here, Marinette. We've got plenty enough rooms for them too." he reassured, patting their shoulders gently.

"By the size of this place it could house in our whole class, so I'm sure mom and dad will love it!" the bluenette responded as Bruce escorted them inside his home.

* * *

A few hours later, a standard model DC-10 plane, famous and easily recognizable thanks to the third engine built into the tailfin, touched down at Gotham City airport. The vehicle itself bore the colours of the American Airlines company, the sparkling silver with red, white and blue stripes adding a sense of beauty to the aircraft. The DC-10 taxied towards the airport terminal and parked, allowing its many passengers to disembark.

There were many people on-board from foreigners on holiday to locals returning from their own holidays. Some people would be reluctant to return to Gotham. Others couldn't really find it in their hearts to stay away forever and still managed to call it home despite the horrendous crime rate. The passengers were quickly filed out of the plane and taken through passport control so they could collect their bags and be on their way. There was an odd couple that many people had chosen to ignore on the flight. One was an elderly looking man with a bad skin rash and rather badly cut hair. He looked unwell and like he had been taken care of very poorly. His partner wore a long trench coat and a fedora that obscured most of his features. He also wore huge flashy spectacles that hid most of his face had, peculiarly enough, a green handlebar moustache. Many people assumed the man was crazy and died his moustache green for no reason. Little did they realize was that they had fallen for the most spectacular disguises The Joker could've possibly coined up.

The idea behind these disguises was that they would look so odd and unappealing that nobody would want to look at them for very long. People would glance at them and quickly look the other way, leaving no chance of them being found out. That was the big secret behind the success and The Joker was pleased to see that they had worked so brilliantly. Gabriel Agreste had hated his disguise but had forced himself to put up with it. It would be worth it to finally get his hands on those Miraculouses! He did rather like the effect that his fake skin rash had. Even though it was only prosthetic make-up, it looked very convincing and made him look unrecognizable. People just screwed their faces up at him and looked away, disgusted by his appearance. The prejudices of mankind were playing into his favour.

Now the two villains were making their way towards passport control, The Joker snickering to himself at how stupid these people were, letting him walk by in an airport for a second time this week.

"Heh, heh, heh! I knew these disguises would be perfect!" he cackled quietly to his comrade, "We're so strange looking that nobody looked at us for more than three seconds!"

"I'm just glad nobody will know that the man with the bad skin they've been disgusted at was really me..." Gabriel muttered, "I look forward to donning my villainous attire once again."

"Heh hoo, I can see you fitting into the grittiness of Gotham just fine, Gabe babe. Still, if I were you, I'd say it best we walk with a larger group of people." the Joker noted, a tiny hint of seriousness etched into his voice. Gabriel glanced at him and, keeping the act up, scratched his cheek tenderly.

"And whys that?" he asked quietly, earning a wave of a finger from the Joker in response.

"My dear fashion designer, have you ever played Assassin's Creed? The rule to hiding in plain sight is by hiding amongst a huge crowd. That and some birds might be keeping a watch out for us." he winked as he explained, making Gabriel sigh in dread as it sunken into him that they weren't quite out of being spotted yet.

"Urgh, so am I right to assume any one of these people can be an accomplice of Batman's? You could've at least warned me." he spoken in a hushed tone, earning a jab in the arm from the Joker.

"I just like to see you get irritated, and I like seeing people think on their feet. Adds so much tension." he giggled as his glassed eyes scanned the exit of the airport, taking note of someone hiding his face behind a newspaper and wearing a brown coat.

"See that chap there? I know it's a cliche thing to occur, but that's how spies get about these days, hiding their faces behind newspapers and wearing long coats. If you ask me it makes THEM stand out more. Tut tut tut I say, when will they learn?" The Joker shook his head with an ever so calm smile on his face. Gabriel had followed where he was looking at and spotted that particular person in question, making him sigh as his cold eyes took notice of the green moustache on Joker's face.

"If that could indeed be a friend of Batman's, you do realise he could take your stupid moustache as a hint it's you" he grumbled irritably, gaining a slight pout from the nutty clown in response.

"My dear Gabe, it is not stupid, it is a work of classical art. And always have the perfect timing to make the right move. Like, right now!"

Before Gabriel could question him, the Joker pinched him in the side, making him yelp slightly and spring to his feet, with the disguised clown following swiftly. Indeed they made the right timing as a big crowd of people had begun walking by them. With this settling in, Gabriel walked by the Joker's side and kept to the right of the crowd so they could stay out of the stranger's sights. The Joker's own hideous eyes danced back and forth behind his glasses, keeping a little look on the stranger as he best could see him. If Gabriel were to have pulled off those sunglasses, he would've seen his accomplice's eyes were playing table tennis with each other. Oh how odd...

Shortly enough, they found themselves leaving the doors of the airport, allowing Gabriel to let out a sigh of relief as he and the Joker broke away from the group of people they were walking alongside with. He looked at the air above him and gave it a sniff, trying to get a good taste of what the air in another country was like. Last country he ever visited was Tibet and he remembered how mixed the air was over there. But here though...it made his nose burn in slight excitement. This type of smell the air was giving off was something he often only gotten a small whiff of back in Paris. Was it a shred of misery he was sensing?

He was yanked out of his thoughts when the Joker grabbed him by the wrist and waved down an incoming taxi.

"AGH! Watch it! I'm not used to being handled like this!" Gabriel grunted in a quiet tone, earning a gentle pinch on the cheek.

"Oh birdman give it a rest. You're in Gotham now so you better get used to it. As a famous actor once said, my city, my rules. So just stick with me and hope you don't get the Gotham Handshake!" the clown informed him as he clung to his side, leaving Gabriel a bit crept out, though curious about this Gotham Handshake he mentioned.

The taxi driver peeked his head out of the window and gave them a disgusted look.

"Ew! Where're you two heading? Metropolis's Suicide Slum?" he asked confusedly. The content in his voice was obvious, no attempts made whatsoever to hide it. The Joker just gave an innocent grin and clapped Gabriel on the side, making him stifle a yelp as he looked at the driver.

"No, actually. To the industrial estate please!" he replied as calmly as he could, earning a sigh from the driver.

"Ugh, you mean near ACE Chemicals? Whatever, just get in." he grumpily ordered.

The Joker and Gabriel quickly took their seats and buckled up as the driver started the car and drove off, clearly keen to get away as quickly as possible. A cloud of dirty smoke coughed out of the taxi's exhaust as it sped away. Gabriel clung onto the seat as the taxi took off, amazed at how fast the driver was going. Did all taxis in Gotham drive like this?! He also glanced over at The Joker, who seemed to be enjoying the ride.

"Is Gotham always full of grumpy, miserable people?" he mused.

"You bet!" The Joker cackled, "Heh, heh, heh! I swear I'm the perfect guy to traipse around Gotham! The city's so full of misery that I'm always welcomed to give people a laugh! Even if it's the killing laugh!"

The Hawk Moth in Gabriel was very intrigued to hear this. A thin smile spread out across his disguised face as he took all of this in. Gotham was full of miserable people was it? How delicious this was to hear! This would be a city ripe for the his wicked akumas! Oh what fun it would be to corrupt some poor sod in Batman's home city! And if Batman was to come back here to solve the problem and maybe even bring Ladybug and Cat Noir to catch the akumas, he could get yet another shot at getting the Miraculouses! And maybe even succeed at last. The Joker noticed his accomplice's smile with curious fascination.

"Say hawk eyes, that's the first time I've seen you smile since we left Paris! What's up?" he inquired.

"Oh I just have a wicked little idea on what we can do to really get under Batman's skin and bring him to us..." Gabriel purred, his voice now sounding more like Hawk Moth's than his own.

Joker grinned, somewhat satisfied to hear this "Ah, how much I love seeing that ever so sweet smile of evil innocence. That's a bonus for me, getting a rather snooty chap like you smiling. Something tells me this'll be the holiday of your life, Gabe old chum!" he giggled, patting the former rich man on the shoulder.

Gabriel nodded in agreement as he gazed out of the window to see the source of darkness, Gotham City, growing bigger in the distance as they neared it.

"Something tells me you're right, dear comedian. I genuinely think I'm going to enjoy this..." he chuckled lightly as he latched hold of his pendant.

Little did they know that the certain stranger they had been trying hard to avoid was now in a phone booth, dialling away on the panel as he had urgent news to give off. Those of you would know very well this was Dick Grayson, once again on patrol at the airport. His eyes were full of seriousness as his call gotten answered.

"Yes, hello Alfred. Could you patch me through to Bruce please? I think I might've caught sight of something. I'm not a hundred percent certain it's them, but it could be them." Dick spoke, really wanting Bruce to hear what he had to say.

"At once Master Dick." Alfred replied, not even sounding concerned. He preferred to let Bruce be the concerned one out of the two.

Dick sighed with relief as he waited for his call to be accepted. Batgirl had of course warned him about the possibility of The Joker coming back to Gotham with the villain of France, Hawk Moth/Gabriel Agreste, with him and he felt that he had spotted them. Those two couldn't have been anyone else! The Joker's green moustache was what had sent the alarm bells ringing and he was keen to let Bruce know what he'd seen...

* * *

Meanwhile, Marinette and Adrien had been given the tour of Wayne Manor in the time it had taken The Joker and Hawk Moth to arrive in Gotham. They had seen everything about the mansion from the bedrooms to the ballrooms and even the kitchens and studies. They were impressed with just how big the house was. Adrien in particular felt as if his own house seemed underwhelming in comparison. There was so much vintage beauty contained in this impressive mansion that really gave Wayne Manor its own character and the size of it made everything he could see look grand and spectacular in comparison. This was the home of a billionaire alright! He could scarcely imagine how much the house would cost to buy if Bruce ever sold it!

Right now, Bruce was showing the two teens the best part of Wayne Manor. He felt that they would get a kick out of seeing his base of operations so as he positioned the hands on the grandfather clock and opened up the secret passage behind it, he led the two down the rocky stairwell into the underground cavern the huge, opulent house hid from the world above. Marinette could scarcely keep the smile off her face as they walked down into the one thing she knew this place was.

"Eeee, I can't believe it! I'm actually gonna see the Batcave itself!" she exclaimed, "I've had many thoughts on what the thing looks like and now I'm gonna see it for real!"

"As exciting as it maybe, please don't take any photographs while you're in here." Bruce requested. That was the thing about the billionaire superhero. He always seemed to be rather calm and using an even tone of voice when he spoke to the teens. Marinette and Adrien wondered if he was just going easy on them because of their age but they appreciated this bit of humility from their host.

"I kinda gathered you wouldn't want any photos taking anyway." Marinette said truthfully, "You wouldn't want the pictures to get onto the internet somehow and everybody knows what your big secret cave looks like."

"Exactly. I keep secrets to protect myself and others. Right now, I'm keeping the secrets to protect you two as well." Bruce said softly, "In the meantime, do prepare yourselves for the Batcave is quite a sight."

Giving him a curt nod, Adrien and Marinette followed Bruce through the deep grey doors that slid open. Their jaws hung in shock and awe at what they were seeing. Before them was a wide open and dark cave, which stretched almost to infinity below and outward under the ground. But of course, that wasn't the only thing worth noting, as built into the wall of the cave to their middle left was a huge blue screen that stretched from one end of the wall to another, with several smaller screens patterned beneath it, some showing digital blueprints of several vehicles Batman tended to use, one of which was sitting on a large circular platform just off to the right, parked right on the very path that connected to a mechanical bridge that reached off to the far end of the cave on the right. This vehicle, of course, was the Batmobile, all in its dark and shiny glory. It was like a beast! Two huge wheels sticking close to its rear end, with a slightly smaller pair on the front end of the dark vehicle, with it's doors open wide and hanging tightly by it's sides, showing off the multiple controls that helped it work.

Adrien took notice of several steps creeping down to the level beneath them, catching a very small glimpse of, what he assumed to be, was the first ever Robin costume! From what he could see, it had a good material of thick leather on the red, while its shoulder pads were a deep forest green, with a pair of grey leggings slipping out of the knee long green shorts, with a leg pouch clinging to it's right leg, holding a baton of sorts.

Marinette could only gaze on in wonder as she saw two Batsuits contained in glass cylinders to her right, the first one looking rather basic with a more lighter grey colour, a deep shade of blue on the cape and cowl, with leg pouches attached to the thighs and a thin colour of yellow on the boots, while the other Batsuit had black muscle pads on the tummy section, the Bat emblem very huge to the point it spread right across its chest, a black belt clinging to the waist, with a thick black now on the cape and cowl. Marinette could only imagine Alya getting jealous if she ever found out about this. And that was a big IF!

"This place...I...I don't know what to even say! I mean, what I get up to on a daily basis is pretty miraculous but this place beats anything I've ever seen!" Marinette gasped.

"I can totally see why this is the place Batman hangs out in when he's not fighting crime..." Adrien blustered, drawing breath as he finished his sentence, "This is where all his hi-tech gear and fancy gadgets come from!"

"You could even say that "this is where the magic happens"." the French girl murmured, her eyes sweeping over the Batmobile, "Bruce Wayne certainly needs the billionaire lifestyle in order to afford all of this stuff! This must cost a fortune!"

"It did when I started building the whole thing." Bruce admitted, "A lot of hard work and money went into this place and I couldn't be happier with the results. There's room for everything I need, it's in a place nobody will ever find and it gives me just what I need to do my work. Repair works, building of new gadgets, chemistry, crime forensics and analysis, it all happens here. And even my closest allies can still scarcely believe what they're seeing."

"No wonder...I right now can't believe what I'm seeing!" Adrien exclaimed.

"So what do the computers do?" Marinette asked curiously, "They help you with tracking down criminals and that kind of stuff?"

"Exactly." the philanthropist/superhero answered, "They're quite advanced, able to hack into almost anything and analyse even the scarcest of chemicals. They also pick up anyone trying to call me..."

Just as he said the words "call me", a sudden bleeping sound rang out around the Batcave. The two hero teens jumped in alarm, wondering what was happening. Bruce worked it out instantly. It was coming from the computer.

"What a coincidence..." he murmured, "I'm getting a call."

"Who is it?" Marinette asked.

"The screen says it's from Dick Grayson. He must have some urgent news." Bruce murmured, "And to think I brought you two here to rest and recuperate..."

Before Adrien or Marinette could respond, Bruce tapped the answer button. The screen cleared for a moment until a voice line spread across it, bouncing up and down as Dick himself began to talk. Bruce looked sharply at the screen, worry hidden in his hard features.

"What is it, Dick? Did you see them?" he asked quickly, really wanting to get the answer out there.

"I did, Bruce, but I seriously hate to tell you that they managed to slip past me and gotten into a taxi. The Joker and Hawk Moth have come to Gotham and are on the loose as we speak." came the reply of the original Boy Wonder, causing the trio's eyes to widen in shock.

"Wait, what!?" Marinette exclaimed in disbelief upon hearing this.

"My dad...and The Joker...here?! But how?! Why?!" Adrien exclaimed. How had his dad managed to slip past security like this, get out of France and all the way to Gotham City?!

"What exactly did they look like, Dick!? Tell me quick!" Bruce called as he began to tap away at his controls, a hint of nervousness in his voice as he got a data page up.

"I managed to see the Joker had some sort of Hawaiian gear on and he had a green moustache too. For the Agreste guy, he had a really bad set of hair on him, just little spikes really, and his skin was a huge bright red like he had some kinda rash." Dick informed, making Adrien resist snickering. It was a serious situation, but the thought of his dad in such a bizarre state kinda brought his spirits up a bit more.

Marinette then spoke up, her voice mixed with firmness but a hint of shy etched into it.

"Did you see the number plate of taxi they got into?" she questioned, earning a sigh from the dark haired vigilante of Bludhaven.

"I'm afraid I didn't, but it did stand out from the others. It has some kinda graffiti on its tail end, read something like "Gotham Equals Hell" or something." came the blue boy's reply, though he sounded very certain of it.

Letting this process in his head, Bruce gotten up as many cameras he could patch into, from street corner CCTV, to mounted cameras on cop cars.

"When exactly did they leave, Dick?" he asked once more, his eyes not leaving the screen he was looking at.

"About four minutes ago. They should be coming in through the main lane entrance road now." came the reply, making Bruce's eyes dart to a particular camera on the screen, his brow sinking into a deep scowl.

"Got it. Dick, if I were you, spread word out to Tim and Steph and make sure they keep a lookout as well." the top of the bat family ordered.

"Great idea. I'll get to them immediately." Dick replied, "With any luck, we can catch those two before they cause any trouble."

"That's exactly what I'm hoping too." Bruce muttered.

He switched off, leaving Dick Grayson to get to his duties. He turned around to face Marinette and Adrien, who looked very pale upon hearing everything. They had just come all the way here to avoid the two villains for a while and yet here they were, in Gotham just as they were and no doubt, looking to cause trouble! Now they knew the true meaning of the phrase "No rest for the weary". The world clearly hadn't had enough of throwing hardships their way.

"I can't believe it! The Joker getting back here, I can believe, but Gabriel managed to get here too?!" Marinette shrieked, "I can't understand how he was able to get past security! The whole of Paris was on the lookout for him!"

"He may have been disguised but surely something should've given him away!" Adrien cried.

"Something did give him away." Bruce explained, "Batgirl picked up on the fact he used a credit card in a machine at the airport so that's why I had Dick on high alert. But The Joker's good at disguising himself. Even the most skilled members of the Bat Family can be fooled by them. The disguises obviously threw Dick off long enough for them to get away."

"Well at least we know they're there so we can be ready for them!" Marinette declared, "If Gabriel seriously thinks following us here is gonna make us surrender our Miraculouses, he's got rocks for brains!"

"I dunno Mari, do you really think that they followed us here?" Adrien asked curiously, "They couldn't possibly have known we were coming to Gotham. My dad has a lot of resources thanks to his vast wealth but even he couldn't have known where I was going!"

"It may well be that it was a coincidence they just happened to come to Gotham as we did. They arrived after us so it's possible." Bruce murmured, his meticulous brain whirring as he assessed the situation, "Maybe The Joker came up with some idea that involved coming back to Gotham and brought Gabriel along for the ride. Given he still has the Moth Broach, he'll be able to akumatize anybody in Gotham City. The city itself is already full of misery thanks to the high crime rates so anybody could be a victim. Including..."

His face suddenly went very pale as a horrible thought came to his head. Marinette and Adrien could even see the colour draining out of the billionaire's face as if performing some kind of colour-changing trick like a chameleon. They had a feeling that Bruce had just thought of the worst possible outcome of Hawk Moth being in Gotham.

"No...Arkham Asylum!" he whispered hoarsely, "Most of my biggest enemies reside there! They're full of negative emotions so they'll be ripe for the picking! If Hawk Moth akumatizes any of them, Gotham could be heading for disaster!"

Plagg then popped out of Adrien's pocket "Have they ever reinforced those cardboard walls inside and out? Nothing will surprise me!" he declared, only to get a glare from Adrien.

"Plagg, now's not the time. Bruce is right. Unless we do something about the Asylum's inmates, they'll be akumatised!" he exclaimed, looking to Bruce as he finished his lecture.

"Is there any way we can get the, secured somewhere without risking a breakout?" he asked sharply, hoping there would at least be some sort of answer the billionaire could give.

"Or at least find Joker and Gabriel before they even get to the Asylum?" Marinette brought up, to which Bruce hummed to himself and rubbed his chin in thought.

"In all honesty, they could be either heading for ACE Chemicals or Gotham's port. There's secret routes there they can use to get to Arkham." he noted as he turned to the screen.

"But is there any way in safely removing the inmates?" Adrien brought up again.

"There is." Bruce replied, "But it'll require me having to come to the asylum itself to inform the guards, and to make sure nobody tries to break out while they're being escorted." he added, "It'll surprise them to see Batman coming to them in the afternoon but there are times where exceptions have to be made."

"We could come with you!" Marinette offered eagerly, "Me and Cat Noir could provide extra back up in case any of the inmates get any ideas!"

"And maybe I can get the chance to arrest my demonic father myself." Adrien said grimly.

Bruce turned around and was considering refusing the offer. His brain was already forming the answer before he was ready to speak. He didn't like to let anybody else join him in this kinds of missions. The inmates at Arkham were his responsibility and the only one who was capable of taking them on. He couldn't let Ladybug and Cat Noir become the victims of somebody like Killer Croc, Poison Ivy or The Penguin. Their lives had barely begun, they couldn't be wasted like this. But they had managed to survive The Riddler and The Joker so it was possible they would be OK in this fight. He had seen them in action, they were clearly able to take care of themselves. Maybe it wouldn't be foolish to let them come.

He sighed but looked to them both, before handing a data pad to Marinette.

"That'll help you get there. The Batmobile only has room for two, so I'll meet you there as soon as I'm in costume. Meet me at the gates." he instructed, to which Marinette nodded with a small smile.

"Got it. See you there, Mister Wayne." she said softly, before turning to Adrien.

"Let's get there and end this." she said to him, making him smile.

"Agreed." he responded, before dashing out of the cave alongside the bluenette.

Smiling briefly, Bruce then turned to the spare spaced wall next to the Bat-Computer, pressing his hand against it. A blue light traced over his hand and a large section of the wall opened up, revealing another Batsuit inside, only the scowl on the cowl was a lot deeper, the ears slightly longer, with lines of yellow on the exit sections of the gloves and boots. The emblem lacked a yellow outline, though the torso looked rather padded and slightly mechanical. Bruce traced his finger over the emblem and, with a low hiss, the suit opened up from the middle, revealing it was indeed tech heavy and mechanical. If he and the French superheroes were going to end up battling more of his enemies, then he would have to go in heavily prepared, so his earlier suit wouldn't be of much use.

As he approached the suit, preparing to put it on, he allowed himself on brief moment to consider the events of the last couple of days. To think it had all started with The Riddler running away to Paris! It was amazing just what can start off a train of events. The Riddler's runaway, The Joker following suit, the team up with Hawk Moth, Chloe's murder at The Riddler's hands, Hawk Moth's reveal and now this! One thought ran through his mind as he stepped into the suit, allowing it to close around him as it encased him like a shell.

"It started in Paris...now it ends in Gotham." he declared just as the cowl came down over his head...

Meanwhile, The Joker and Gabriel had reached the ACE Chemicals building and had quickly run inside. As soon as they were out of sight, they discarded their disguises since they now had no need to keep them on. They had made it into the city and hadn't been spotted so now they could roam around and reveal themselves at just the right time. All was going according to plan and they couldn't be happier.

Pleased to be out of his disguise, Gabriel decided that now was the perfect moment to suit up again. He would need Hawk Moth for his big idea. He put the broach on and braced himself for the transformation. Nooroo looked down sadly, depressed that he was about to be used for yet another evil scheme to get the Miraculouses. How he longed to be with a nicer master!

"Nooroo! Dark Wings, RISE!" Gabriel bellowed.

For once, even though it lasted for about four seconds, Nooroo tried his hardest to resist the pull of magic that had been commanded by Gabriel. But he could do little as he had little choice in the matter. He was just a small floating, talking battery of magic, that had to do what he was told to do...there was nothing the poor little Kwami could do as he was sucked downward and became absorbed by the broach. A flash of violet occurred throughout the chemical plant, making the lights flicker briefly, then there he was, clad once more in the deep purple of his suit and silver mask fixed to his hole head, Hawk Moth stood in all of his villainous glory.

"Pff, at least Captain Marvel has to say one word." the Joker muttered after watching the event, looking almost unimpressed, but a grin soon reappeared on his face as he gotten his moustache off and brought out a few deadly clip on flowers, obviously getting ready for his and Hawk Moth's next big move.

Speaking of the French fashion designer, he sniffed the air and blocked out the strong smell of chemicals that filled the surrounding air, his sense of smell now increased stronger than a normal humans. He grinned as he gotten a strong whiff of one foul thing ever to exist: misery! Oh such beautiful misery, Gotham really did reek of it! Oh he was going to enjoy this day.

"Lovely smell, hmm? You oughta drink some at a time, Hawk old boy!" the Joker called from above, standing on a platform next to a vat of chemicals, making the purple clad villain shake his head in disgust.

"I'd rather not, thank you very much, Joker. So how do we get to Arkham from here?"

"I wouldn't have thought it'd matter given you just send your evil butterfly things out to corrupt people!" The Joker snickered, "But if you really wanna know, you just make several sharp turns, make a left turn at Albuquerque and there you are!"

Hawk Moth sighed in annoyance. Did The Joker have to be such a clown, even in serious moments like this?! Would it kill the guy to, just for once, not make any bad jokes in times like this?!

"Try that again. This time, without any of the joking." he snapped.

"Sheesh, and I thought Batman was a grumpy bastard..." The Joker scowled, "Anyway, the true way to Arkham is one sharp turn right and a long straight down through The Bowery and through the forest just outside the city. I've done the journey so many times that I could do it blindfolded!"

"How fortuitous." Hawk Moth purred, "So you'll get me there easily enough. I want to be there so I can get those Miraculouses for myself!"

The Joker then tapped his sharp chin in thought. "You know...you're good at teleporting. Can't you just...you know, teleport there?" he said simply, a frown of confusion on his face. Hawk Moth looked like he had brick chucked into his gut upon realising this.

"Well, I could, though it's short ranged. I need five minutes to get back to full power after each go. You mentioned there's a forest of sorts near Arkham, yes?" he asked sharply as he thought a different plan over.

"Well yes, I only mentioned it a few seconds ago." came the simple reply of the mad clown. Hawk Moth grinned in response.

"Excellent. Hate to say this, but I need you touching me so I can draw closer to that specific area." he explained, to which the Joker clapped his hands and rubbed them excitedly together.

"By George at last! Let's get the mad house rocking and rolling, shall we!?" he giggled, earning a yank of a wrist from Hawk Moth, who closed his eyes and muttered "Nooroo, warp dash".

In a split second, the two purple clad villains vanished in a blur of purple, the huge dash line of purple zipping out through the back entrance of ACE Chemicals.

* * *

Meanwhile, Warden Quincy Sharp was overlooking the latest figures in his office. His spectacled eyes swept over the sheets that lay on his desk before him and displayed their latest information. Financial figures, bills, prisoner income, it was nothing he hadn't seen before.

Sharp was in charge of Arkham Asylum, though he had recently been running for office in the latest elections for the next Mayor of Gotham. He felt politics was more his area of expertise than prison work and hoped he would win the elections. Sharp was a rather ordinary looking man, not tall but not exactly short either. He looked well suited to his grey suit and tie that he wore and the round spectacles made him look more cold and serious than smart. He had been in charge of Arkham for a while and was showing his age, what remained of his hair now beginning to grey.

He was expecting another normal night in the asylum, though he would never describe a day or a night in Arkham Asylum as "normal". How could he considering what the murky place contained? Killer clowns, crocodile men, flower ladies, clown girls, ice men, even nutcases obsessed with fear and calendars! This was more like a fantasy land than anything he would ever consider "normal". In Arkham Asylum, all things normal stopped at the gates and all that lay before you was the rabbit hole and how deep it went. And yet he had managed to keep his sanity despite coming close to losing it many times in his career. He considered himself lucky, that wouldn't have looked good on his record in his political campaign.

Although he was expecting smooth sailing, he was about to see that things were going to get interesting. A knock on his door diverted his attention from his sheets and he narrowed his eyes.

"Come in." he ordered, his voice as sharp as his named suggested.

The door opened and one of the guards walked in. He was a black man with a small beard and a hand missing thanks to an encounter with Killer Croc. He looked tough, like nothing in the world could worry him and he could handle anything. His name was Aaron Cash, and he was one of Arkham Asylum's most loyal, trusted and toughest guards. Quincy raised an eyebrow in interest.

"What is it then Mr. Cash?" he inquired.

"Warden, you ain't gonna believe this, but we've got Paris right on our doorstep." Cash said rather casually, though at the same time slightly surprised.

Quincy frowned and stood up, following the big man through to the CCTV room, where Cash pointed at the screen monitoring the main gates of Arkham. They were surprised to see Ladybug and Chat Noir standing directly outside the gates, conversing with the guards by there. Quincy couldn't help but smile at the bright coloured costume of Ladybug, who brought a glimmer of light into this grim part of the country.

"Those are the French superheroes, yeah?" he asked, just wanting to be sure, earning a nod from Cash.

"Spot on, boss. They've been all over the news lately. Perhaps they've come on over for a visit?" the big African man suggested, earning a "Hmm" from Quincy in response. He could see that the warden was very quickly mulling this over, something he was quite famous for in his line of duty.

"Possibly so. Let me get through to the guards." he requested. Stepping aside, Cash watched on as his boss patched himself through to the guard's coms.

"This is the warden here, I can see them. What exactly do they want?" he asked firmly, not wanting to be rude or aggressive like most wardens do.

"They say it's an emergency and on Batman's orders we have to evacuate the Asylum ASAP." came the reply from the other end.

Quincy frowned slightly, not sure whether to believe this. He knew they were fellow heroes, but he only really acted on such orders if Batman himself was there to give them out. That and he couldn't shake off that terrible feeling that Arkham could be facing another breakout situation. However, his doubts were cast aside as he then noticed an all too familiar bulky vehicle roll towards the gates at a steady speed, making the good warden smile in relief as he saw Ladybug and Chat Noir jump onto the sides of the Batmobile.

"Well, they're clearly speaking the truth. Let em through, officer, so we can see what can be done." he ordered calmly, getting a "Copy that." from the guard he had spoken to. Straightening his tie, Quincy watched as the gates opened and the Batmobile rolled its way up towards the asylum's entrance.

Turning to Cash, he said, "Alright young man, get the guards in standby. We'll need every staff member available to help evacuate this place if it's THAT serious." nodding upon hearing that, Cash exited the room to find the main office and give out the orders of standby.

With where they were, Ladybug tapped on the window of the Batmobile and gave its driver a smile.

"Good thing you arrived in time, Batman. They seemed a bit unsure at first." she noted. Though he could hear her, there was probably a good chance that she wouldn't hear him, so the vigilante responded with a thumbs up.

"Well, I can't really blame them. Arkham suffers breakouts twenty four seven, so it's no wonder the guards are a big hard when it comes to unexpected visitors, heroes or not..." Chat Noir pointed out as they neared the entrance of the Asylum.

Finally reach the large driveway, the two French teens slid off the Batmobile as its roof opened up with a hiss, with Batman calmly rising from its seat and made his way out of his heavily armoured vehicle. He certainly looked more menacing and battle ready in this armoured Batsuit, and if things were to get ugly here, then Ladybug and Chat Noir couldn't blame him.

"I'll have to give you both a tour later, we need to see the warden right away." he instructed as they made their way up the steps towards the doors .

"Fine by me. This place is creepy enough by just looking at it, but we've gotta get the job done." Chat responded as the guards at the doors opened them up, allowing them inside.

Though they were pacing through the entrance, Ladybug and Chat Noir couldn't help but gaze around at the dark and grimness of the mad house of super villains. They took note of how heavily armed the guards were, from hand held machine guns to electrical stun batons, leaving them slightly unnerved as they never saw such weapons up close before. They also took note of some of the battered and damaged parts of the building, with cracks in the concrete walls, shattered windows, and stains of blood on the marble floor. Ladybug cringed in disgust.

"Ugh, have they ever thought of cleaning up this place? What about keeping it more tightly locked up?" she asked as they reached the other side of the room.

"Warden Quincy has been demanding for such changes, but the current mayor of Gotham tries to brush Arkham under the carpet as best as he can by barely taking interest in it." Batman dully replied, though a hint of annoyance in his voice, which they couldn't blame him for. Why should he have to round up all these loonies and throw them back in if no such changes are being made in preventing their escapes?

"That's why I hope Quincy does become the next mayor. He might be able to bring about some changes." he mused to himself as the door ahead opened, revealing the man himself, Warden Quincy. He gave a polite nod to the trio as he approached them, an armed guard by his side.

"Surprised to see you in the afternoon, Batman. From what these special visitors told the guards at the gate, there's an emergency regarding the Asylum. What exactly is it?" he asked, getting straight to business.

Batman regarded him with a friendly blink of the eyes and explained away, "You've seen the news if what's been happening in Paris lately, haven't you?" he asked in a firm tone. Quincy nodded, a softer look on his old features.

"Oh yes, you and these two youngsters fighting the Joker in Paris, and unmasking that moth guy or whoever he was. I pity whatever family that guy might've kept those secrets from." he said in a sympathetic tone, pretty much confirming he knew what Batman was talking about, though he took no notice of Chat's eyes trailing to the floor.

"I've got reported sightings that he and Joker are in Gotham as we speak, possibly heading this way. They want to Akumatise every prisoner in here." Batman responded, earning a confused look from the warden.

"Akumatise?" he asked.

"Basically turn them into more powerful super villains and grant them magic powers." Ladybug quickly responded, making Quincy's eyes widen.

"Ah crap. Well, if that's true then we better get them transported. I'll give orders to my boys to start moving the more weaker ones out in the yard for the helicopters to come in" he stated as he turned around and headed back the way they came, with the trio of costumed superheroes following after him.

"Where will they be taken to, exactly?" Ladybug asked, curiosity in her voice.

"We've got an underground stronghold underneath the main police department back in Gotham. Me and Mr Terrific helped construct the cells there for every villain I come across in my city." Batman explained as they headed up the flight of stairs that led to the warden's office.

"Not being rude but shouldn't we call in the Justice League or some of the Teen Titans help out in all this? I mean, they're your buddies, right Bats?" Chat asked as that realisation dawned upon him.

"I'll only call in those two groups in as a last resort, as long as they're not too busy." Batman replied as they reached the floor they were heading to, standing back as Warden Quincy readied his microphone to give out the message.

"This is the warden. If any personnel are on standby, you are clear to start moving the prisoners. I want armoured men on patrol so best to get suited up to help the Batman escort out the stronger prisoners. Kitchen personnel are to leave right now. Ready any medical tools needed to numb the prisoners. Those are your orders! Over and out!" Quincy spoke, a strong power in his voice to get the message across to all the workers in the Asylum. He then opened the draw to his right and pulled out a grey and swipe blue card, handing it to Batman.

"That's the card that'll give you full clearance to the lower levels of Arkham, you can start taking out the bigger guys. The armoured guards will be down there waiting for you." he explained, getting a nod from Batman, who turned to Ladybug and Chat Noir.

"You two, with me." he ordered. With that, the trio swiftly left the room, two armed guards following after them in case any backup was needed.

So began the intense task of removing each prisoner from their cells. The weaker prisoners were right now having their "homes" being stormed into, huge waves of guards in black and blue uniforms slamming into them, whacking their riot batons against each prisoners legs to bring them down. They weren't giving them a chance, given the criminals' reputations. That and they wanted to land as much nasty blows on them as they could for everything they did while out on the streets. The ones getting handcuffed around the wrists and ankles right now were the likes of Penguin, Scarecrow, Firefly, Bird, Copperhead, Victor Zasz, Killer Moth and more. The guards were thankful these criminals were stripped of their weapons and tools, not wanting a dose of fear gas from Scarecrow, or get poisoned by Copperhead (who's hands were in special gloved gauntlets) or wanting to get burned by Firefly.

"Argh! You bastards! I'll have you all sued by the time I'm released from here!" Penguin snarled as he was hauled off his small feet, which were handcuffed together by the ankles.

He was smacked on the head from behind by a guard, who yelled, "Quit your whining, Cobblepot! The only thing you have a right to is to shut your damn mouth!" with another whack at the ankles, Penguin was dragged out of his cell and found himself at the rear end of the queue consisting of his fellow weaker inmates from above.

Scarecrow had a gag over his mouth as the guards couldn't stand the sound of his taunting and soothing voice, trying to find out the secret of everyone's fears.

Victor Zasz's eyes twitched constantly, a mad thought going through his head or his way of coping with the multiple scars on his body.

Bird was just glaring at the guards, probably giving them a silent threat regarding the whereabouts of her pet falcon, Talon.

Killer Moth, being the weirdo that he was, kept on muttering "Moth...Moths...Need moths". It's clear his latest encounter with Batman left him more nutty. Copperhead was the only one who found her voice as they began to steadily walk out of the room under heavy watch.

"So, mind telling us what it is we're being extracted for? We getting imprisoned in an alternate dimension?" she questioned, her voice dripping with sarcasm, though a tiny edge of nervousness in it too.

"None of your business ya bitch! Not another word out of you, understand!?" came the nasty reply of another guard, who kept his gun aimed at them as they came walking out of the room they were stationed in, coming across more of the weaker bunch of criminals Batman tended to handle, like Calendar Man, Carmine Falcone, KGBeast (who had his deadlier cybernetic parts removed), and Two-Face.

Over in the kitchen side of the madhouse, the staff stationed there were doing as they were told, grabbing as many belongings as they could before leaving. They were probably the ones that had the most safest of the jobs in the Asylum, just simply making food for the inmates, and for each other. They hated it though, given they had to primarily make food for the criminally insane and for utter monsters the Asylum housed in its grim walls. Yet as soon as the kitchen was empty for about four minutes, it ended up getting two certain sinister visitors as a purple blur zipped into the room, revealing the all too familiar boys in purple.

Hawk Moth glared at the Joker as he sniffed over a recently cooked bit of chicken.

"Oh goody, just in time for supper!" he chuckled as he rubbed his hands together, trying to find a fork he could use to pluck it apart. Instead, Hawk Moth yanked him by the hand and dragged him to the middle of the room.

"I had to wait five minutes for you to take a tinkle while we were near the fences and I'm not waiting any longer! You understand!?" he angrily yelled, almost popping a blood vessel under his silver mask. Joker giggled and softly patted his accomplice's shoulder.

"There there, monsieur Papillon, we're here now, so we can now work that magic trick of yours." he reassured, stepping back from the French villain, who was about to let out another yell of annoyance, only for him to stop and stand as still as he could.

His cold eyes trailed over to an air vent on the fair right of the room. Frowning but growing curious, Hawk Moth allowed his nose to guide him over to it, sniffing the air constantly as he neared it, a deadly smirk spreading across his almost masked features.

"Ahhh...I can sense a lot of misery coming from that vent. Tell me, Joker, your a constant resident of this Asylum, you must know where this vent leads to, surely?" he requested politely as his hands glowed purple, attracting the attention of his flying tools in the nearest miles of Arkham.

The Joker ignored the incoming four Akumas that flew in through the open window as he approached Hawk Moth. He grinned after staring at the vent for a while.

"Ohhhh. You've hit the jackpot, Hawkboy. That vent goes down to the lower sections of Arkham, where they hide the big guns." he winked as he finished his sentence, making Hawk Moth smile in delight.

"Brilliant. Some big guns will do certainly well for this" he chuckled as he corrupted the first butterfly that came to his hand. Unclamping his gloved hands, he gave the Akuma a little wave as it flew into the air vent...

* * *

Back with Batman, Ladybug, and Chat Noir, they had been accompanied by the more heavily armoured guards as they reached the first cell door that had come across in the dark and dank hallway. Batman paused for a moment as he stood outside the door, his heartbeat increasing slightly as he realised who he was about to introduce Ladybug and Chat to. One of the few villains who made him feel fear, fear for his life, fear for his friends, and fear for his city. But he couldn't let that be shown, especially right in front of him. It would give the man an advantage in beating him once again.

Without anymore hesitation, Batman readied the card key he had been given, glancing back at Ladybug and Chat.

"Let me do the talking. He's one of the few people in here that has a huge vendetta against me. Last thing you two want is him to target you both." he warned, making their young eyes widen slightly, though mostly out of confusion. Who on Earth in here didn't have a huge personal vendetta against Batman? He locked them all up here after all!

But they gotten their answer as soon as Batman unlocked the grey door, which slid open to the right, letting them in. Stepping in after the Dark Knight, the French duo were stunned to see who occupied this rather large cell. In the middle of the dark room was a big cage, big enough to contain a grizzly bear. It's occupant could be as well considered as one of them. He was quite lean in the tummy, but his chest and arms were huge, probably ten or twenty times bigger than the average strongman. Superman's biceps were a lot smaller compared to this guy's, but both could probably do a huge ton of damaged.

Suspended in the air inside the cage was none other than Bane himself, clad in a black and white mask, with his mouth exposed yet his masked eyes red. His legs were covered in black army combat trousers, while he wore a padded, armoured brown vest. Batman kept his eyes dead focused on the man that not only outsmarted him, but broke him too. He only had to take one look at those biceps to be reminded of what the six foot eight inches brute did to him all those years ago. He could only hope the cage itself could be transported out of the cell without having to remove Bane, given each time he fought him was mostly a fight to the death.

Bane tilted his head upwards and his red eyes made Ladybug shiver a bit. Though they were part of the mask, she could tell they suited him. The man certainly looked monstrous, but she wouldn't dare to think of what he had done in the past. Bane greeted them with a rather charming smile.

"Ah, so the Bat returns. So surprised you came to see me. Brought more children for me to fight?" he said soothingly in a strong Hispanic accent.

Batman blinked, trying not to falter or shrink away from the sound of the man's voice. Oh how much he wanted to put a tape over the brute's mouth, so he didn't have to be reminded of that chilling speech he gave him that night.

"No, Bane. We're here to escort you out." came the dull reply of the vigilante, who turned to one of the guards, "Get ready to open up the whole wall. Think you can roll him out?" he added quietly, getting a nod off the man he questioned.

Bane then turned his focus onto Ladybug and Chat Noir, his masked eyes full of curiosity "Ah, I didn't know the rumours were true. But here we are, the young saviours of Paris. What service can I do you today?" he greeted, his voice rather charming, which didn't suit his appearance at all.

Ladybug wasn't getting charmed that easily, however, so instead she gave him a hard frown.

"You can be quiet. We don't know that much about you of all villains, but you have the right to remain silent, like every single other criminal!" she responded, getting hard on the brute mastermind already. Bane just chuckled, highly amused.

"How cute, petite young lady. You never heard much about me? No? I'm not surprised, given I'm the Bat's greatest secret." he mused as he glanced at Batman, who glared darkly at him. Not liking the looks of this, Chat Noir stepped in.

"Well your not so special or secretive now, buddy. Your locked up in here, by your lonesome self, put in here by none other than the dude in black himself!" he smirked as he gestured a thumb at Batman, making Bane grunt in annoyance.

"Your cocky facade bothers me, young boy, but thank you for reminding me over how much of a nuisance the Bat is for me. Gives me more will when it comes to fighting him again." he said in an irritated tone, clearly not liking the praise Batman was getting.

"You don't like Batman because he kicks your butt twenty four seven like he does with all over criminals? You must have a big ego on you to hate him that much" Chat noted with a waving finger, mocking Bane, who growled angrily, making Ladybug place her hand in front of her partner.

"Now now, Chat, best we don't irritate him." she firmly reminded, only for a bitter laugh to escape Bane's lips.

"Foolish children. Hatred is something so overlooked in the emotional spectrum. Some claim it to weaken you, but to me, it only makes me smarter in stronger. Especially when it comes to breaking plenty of bones." he hissed as he clenched his fists, the bones of which crunched and crackled, making the French duo cringe in disgust.

That was when it happened. As it wasn't until this conversation came to an end that a guard noticed a pair of purple wings fluttering down towards the cage. He nudged his fellow colleague and spoke aloud.

"Hey, since when did we get butterflies in here? A pet of Killer Moth's?" He asked confusedly. Just simply saying that rang the alarm bells in the costumed trio, with Ladybug's blue eyes scanning the air above the cage, laying her sights on the demon as soon as she saw it.

"NO!" she screamed, swinging her yoyo out at the Akuma, which flew down faster to avoid getting swatted by the yoyo. Chat tried to swipe it with his baton but had no chance as it managed to get through the gaps of the cage, settling on the head of Bane, who went into a trance as a construct of a butterfly appeared over his masked face.

Batman's eyes widened in horror as he realised what was happening "...Oh shit." he muttered, a shred of fear in his voice.

Bane grinned evilly, his grin full of joy and hatred, a strange combination as he heard Hawk Moth's voice speak out to him in his head "My dear brute of a mastermind. You won the first round and broke the Bat, but he's broken you constantly since then. Accept these powers so they can give you more the might to break him once more!"

With that done, the construct of the butterfly vanished from Bane's face and a purple mist descended upon him. Ladybug turned to the guards with a sharp look in her eyes.

"Out! All of you go! Get the other prisoners and get them out! Move it!" she ordered as the mist thickened. The guards didn't need to be told twice, getting a horrible feeling from the sight of the purple smoke covering Bane and the cage, dashing out of the room as fast as possible.

As soon as the last guard left, a tear of metal was heard and the trio ducked to avoid getting whacked by what appeared to be the roof of the cage. Batman felt his heart pause as a pair of glowing yellow eyes glared at him from inside the smoke, which faded to nothingness in thin air, giving way to the monstrosity it helped create. Standing there before them was Bane, clad in the same clothes, but his body now hideously bulky, his height now having shot up four feet, making him about ten feet tall. His skin was a dark crimson red, while his veins and eyes glowed a hideous yellow, his knuckles almost ripping out of his skin. Bane grinned horribly as he glared down at Batman, who stood there with his jaw dropped, his stoic look gone as Bane spoke once more in a deeper, menacing voice.

"I BROKE YOU ONCE! I SHALL DO IT AGAIN!"

* * *

 _ **HOLY SHIT! BANE'S BEEN AKUMATIZED! 0_0**_

 _ **How the hell will Batman, Ladybug and Cat Noir survive this encounter?! Find out next time to see if they do or if they get broken!**_


	14. Chapter 13: Arkham Showdown

**Chapter 13: Arkham Showdown**

The fierce and bone chilling roar of the new Akuma rang throughout Arkham Asylum like the bells of Big Ben itself had been brought across the Atlantic. Almost everyone far away from the room of it's source paused in their steps, their eyes wide for they had never heard such a sound of fury for a long time. Even the roars of Killer Croc were merely a whisper compared to what they just heard.

The lips of Hawkmoth slid into a grin as he and Joker heard the roar from the kitchen of Arkham.

"And now it starts. The final night..." the silver-masked man purred sadistically.

"Ha, ha, ha, ha! Oh Batsy is in for the fight of his life!" The Joker cackled excitedly, "He could barely handle Bane when he was normal! An akumatized Bane will break more than just his back!"

"And Ladybug and Cat Noir will fall with him...and we'll FINALLY get those Miraculouses!" Hawk Moth declared triumphantly.

He had hated having to work with somebody as insane as The Joker but it seemed that putting up with him was worth it in the end. He finally had an akuma minion that truly looked unstoppable and was guaranteed to get him what he wanted. All those minions who failed him, all this waiting, all this planning! And it was about to finally pay off! Hawk Moth continued to watch through the eyes of his new minion, keen to see this fight to the end.

* * *

If Ladybug and Cat Noir hadn't been powered by magic, they would've been dead. Simple as that.

They had been sent flying as the huge arms of the akumatized Bane slammed into them like huge slaps of concrete. The punch felt more like being hit by a tank than a human being. The insect and cat-themed heroes were hurled through the air and sent crashing into the wall. Any normal person would've had his bones shattered like glass from such an impact. They were once again thankful to the Kwamis for their magical gifts for yet again, they had saved their lives.

The two teens were momentarily down as Bane swiped at the guards who had foolishly decided to open fire on him. The bullets bounced away uselessly, not even scratching his hardened skin. Smirking, Bane swatted them away like flies. His huge arm knocked the guards off their feet and onto the floor, sending them sprawling. Batman watched, keeping his distance as he knew getting in close would be suicide. Curse Hawk Moth for coming here to bring his terror to Gotham! Bane glowered up at him, roaring like a dragon.

"COME AND FACE ME BATMAN!" he bellowed, "YOU AND I HAVE SCORES TO SETTLE!"

Batman suppressed a gulp as he noticed Ladybug and Chat Noir staggering back to their feet. They were the experts in taking down Akumas, but he knew Bane better. He'd have to think faster on his feet than usual. He looked to his nemesis and stood tall, his left hand reaching behind his back for a pouch on his utility belt.

"Come and get me then, Bane. I'm not afraid of you" he said firmly. The red skinned brute chuckled as he began to calmly stride towards him.

"Still so stubborn until the end. You may as well accept your fate, dear friend. You won't survive this time!" he yelled as he leapt forward at a monstrous speed. Ladybug quickly reacted by swinging her yoyo out at Batman's leg, which was caught by the thin but strong string as it yanked him away from the incoming fists of Bane.

As he was yanked away, Batman dropped a grenade like device on the spot he was just standing on. Rolling onto his side at Ladybug's and Chat's feet, Batman watched as Bane's fists slammed down into the grenade, which exploded upon contact. Instead of destroying his hands, however, the grenade unleashed an icy prison upon Bane's massive hands, icing them to the floor and leaving him stuck there for the time being.

"That won't hold him for long! What's the plan?" Chat Noir asked Batman as he stood up.

"Do it how you both usually do it: find the source of his power and destroy it!" Batman replied as he pulled out his grappling gun upon noticing the ice beginning to crack around Bane's fists.

"This is gonna have to be a team effort. First we need to get the guards out of here, though." Ladybug noted as she glanced at those who gotten injured by Bane as shards of ice began to drop to the floor.

"You see to that. They might not've listened to you, so you'll have to force them out. Me and Chat will distract Bane to buy you time" Batman firmly replied.

"Got it. Do your best, guys!" Ladybug called as she darted over to the guards as the block of ice crumbled to pieces, with Bane tearing his hands into the air, his hideous yellow eyes landing on Batman and Chat Noir, who readied his staff.

"Ready to run again, pal?" the latter asked the vigilante, who merely nodded as he fired his grappling gun into the gantry above, zipping up it like a fly as Bane leapt at him and Chat, who dove to the side to avoid being reduced to a red squishy mess on the floor.

Chat dodged an incoming fist and fiercely jabbed his staff into Bane's forearm and then into his chest, only to be grabbed by his tail.

"You're foolish to fight me, boy!" Bane sneered as he pulled Chat towards his face. Chat managed to smirk despite his predicament.

"Tell yourself that everyday when you fight Batman, huh?" he retorted as he slammed his staff into Bane's masked face, stunning the brute unhand him and drop Chat to the floor.

The black clad hero landed on his feet, mentally making the old "cats always land on their feet" remark in his head before running off quickly to avoid a huge slam from Bane as he swung his fist down. While he hadn't hit Cat Noir, he had caused the ground to crack. Huge cracks spread out from the impact of his fist and began to spread as if they were trying to catch Cat Noir and snag him. Batman felt the shuddering under his feet, amazed he was still standing. It was like an earthquake had hit the Asylum. If Bane kept this up, the entire building would come down on their heads!

Batman fixed his steel gaze on Bane, mentally challenging him to come at him and leave the teen boy alone. He hadn't promised rest and recuperation for Adrien just to see him get crushed. Bane took the bait and lowered his head. Laughing, he charged, his powerful legs springing him into action. Every footstep he took made the floor shudder. Batman stayed where he was, the Gotham vigilante not even looking as if he was ready to move.

But just as the red-skinned akuma villain was about to charge into him, he threw himself backwards onto the floor. As soon as he was lying down on it, he waited until Bane sailed over him before slapping against his ankle with his right hand. To his opponent, it seemed he had just feebly attempted to hurt him with a pathetic slap. But Bane knew that Batman was never a light hitter. He stopped his charge and instinctively looked down at his ankle. As he suspected, his bat-themed nemesis had had the gall to attach a bomb onto him. He pulled it off and threw it...but not quick enough.

The fuse had been very small, only a few seconds, and the time it had taken Bane to notice it and take it off wasn't fast enough to beat the clock. The bomb went off just inches in front of Bane, the force of the blast knocking him off his feet. The bomb had been small but the explosion had been surprisingly loud and powerful. Cat Noir whistled, impressed at how such a small bomb had momentarily incapacitated the hulking giant they were fighting.

"How do you get such big explosions out of such small bombs?!" he exclaimed.

"It's not easy but it pays off at least." Batman replied bluntly, "Search him and find the akuma before he gets up again!"

Curtly nodding, Chat darted towards the stunned form of Bane's body, his emerald eyes scanning up and down to see if his vision would give off any clue as to where the Akuma was. Though his vision was grey, Chat was thankful to get the clue whenever there was a flash of green to highlight the location of the Akuma.

His eyes scanned over Bane's head, and from his perspective, it flashed green, making the cat themed superhero frown "His head? That can't be right...no, hang on! It's his mask! We have to remove his mask!" he called to Batman and Ladybug, the latter of whom took the remaining guards out of the room.

"His mask, got it!" Ladybug called back, "We have to get it off and then it's bye-bye akuma!"

"He's still down for the moment. We might be able to remove it before he..."

That was as far as Batman got before what looked like a simple, quick end to the nightmare was dashed away. Cat Noir leapt back like a frightened kitten as he saw Bane beginning to move. The huge muscles bulged and flexed as the akumatized mercenary climbed back to his feet, dust and bits of rubble falling away. Thinking fast, the feline jokester bared his claws. Maybe he could destroy the mask before Bane had any idea what was happening.

"CATACLYSM!" he cried out.

The destructive power of his Miraculous danced around his hand, ready to destroy whatever he put it on. He cried out as he swatted at Bane's head, praying against all odds he'd be able to touch the mask and make it fall to pieces. But the over-muscled monster reacted just a fraction too quickly for him. He raised his arm, his elbow swinging up into the French teen's face. Cat Noir's head snapped backwards, the slam so hard that he began to wonder if he was about to loose any teeth. Ladybug watched with horror as her love sailed through the air and hit the wall, his Cataclysm attack merely taking out a section of it as his hand touched it.

Cat Noir landed back down on the floor, groaning in pain as the decayed section of wall became nothing more than a pile of broken stone, crumbling down like a sandcastle on the beach. He was more angry than hurt, angry that his plan had failed. He couldn't use another Cataclysm so he had wasted his only shot and very soon, he'd be forced to flee as his power ran out and look for some food to give to Plagg so he could become Cat Noir again. Provided Bane didn't tear the place apart trying to crush he, Batman and Ladybug first. The spotty heroine ran over to Cat Noir and helped him up, concern flashing through her masked features.

"Cat Noir! Are you OK?!" she cried.

"I've still got eight lives left milady..." Cat Noir replied, his remark more bitter than humorous, "I was hoping to destroy the mask with my Cataclysm but Bane hit before before I could touch it."

"I'm sure we can still get it! We just have to keep trying or else Gotham's gonna be at the grip of a nightmare not even Batman can handle!" Ladybug squealed frantically.

Bane smirked as he strode towards them, keeping his eyes on Batman as Chat began to whisper in Ladybug's ear.

"It would be a crippling blow to the people of Paris if I were to kill them now. You should never underestimate your enemies, my dear old friend. Bringing anyone to Gotham is sending them to death" he chuckled as he began to scrape up a section of the wall like a snowball, only to frown as Ladybug sprung to her feet and tossed her yoyo out.

"LUCKY CHARM!" she yelled fiercely.

Her yoyo glowed a light pink and flung out a huge shield styled like the shell of a normal ladybug. Bane just grinned as he dropped the rubble on top of the two Miraculous heroes, causing Batman to briefly flinch...only to duck as the rubble came flying towards his way, thanks to Ladybug protecting herself and Chat with the shield, greatly stunning Bane, whom Ladybug smirked at.

"Just fighting fire with fire, big guy!" She taunted as she then tossed it out at him like a frisbee, sending the red skinned mercenary flying backwards like a wooden stick, leaving a big imprint of his body in the wall opposite.

Batman ran over to Ladybug and Chat Noir as the latter regained his footing.

"That's good. We might still be able to win this" the bat themed vigilante noted as he saw Bane stagger to his feet.

"Great work, M'Lady, but your Lucky Vision better be quick." Chat whispered as he firmly gripped her shoulder.

Reminded of this, Ladybug's blue eyes scanned the whole room, trying to catch anything that flashed pink or red. It was then her eyes were drawn to Chat's staff, then towards Bane's ankles, then to Batman's utility belt and then to the gantries above their heads. A hopeful glimmer sparked in her eyes as she took both dark costumes heroes by their wrists and whispered her plan of action to them both.

Bane grumbled as he regained his footing, his bones letting out a few hideous cracks as he turned his neck a few times to get rid of the cramps he suffered. Crunching his fingers together, his yellow eyes bore into the trio of superheroes as they finished whispering their plan. His eyes landed onto Ladybug's shield, then he let out a cold chuckle.

"Very brave of you to put up a good fight, Madame Ladybug. But your weapons are nothing compared to the godlike weaponry of the Amazons." he taunted as he scraped up a chunk of the floor with both of his hands, gripping them like the ends of a rug. Baring his teeth into a malicious grin, Bane ripped the floor upwards as if it really was a rug, trying to throw them off their feet.

Instead, Batman took flight towards the gantries via his grappling gun once again, while Chat extended his staff into a pole and shot himself towards Bane, slashing him across the shoulder with his claws, letting out a stream of purple magic like blood. Though he was out of Cataclysms, Chat's claws were still magically powered by his Kwami, so he followed what Ladybug just said: Fight fire with fire!

Landing on his feet, Chat split his staff into batons, both of which were connected by a long piece of string.

"OK Incredible Hulk, come at me!" Cat Noir dared.

Bane laughed, sounding almost amused by the feline hero's taunts.

"These children are almost as stubborn as you are Batman. I can see why you dragged them into your war..." he crooned, attempting to twist the knife in his nemesis.

"I didn't drag them into my war Bane. They only got caught up unintentionally." Batman retorted, glaring down at the powerful akuma villain from up in the gantries.

"Well maybe they'll serve as an important lesson to you Batman." Bane sneered, drawing his arms back and preparing to throw the chunk of floor, "Never let anyone get involved in your affairs, accident or no accident! They'll just end up like you, broken and in agony!"

He threw the floor piece, his arm shooting forward and sending the chunk flying as if it weighed nothing despite its size. Batman was pleased. Bane had just wasted his weapon and had allowed himself to be distracted just so he could take a shot at him. That was always his biggest downfall after all, his fanatical focus on breaking him made him easily distracted. The Dark Knight was already moving before the chunk even reached halfway, abandoning the gantry he was on as the piece of floor smashed into it, bending the metal and tearing it out of its sockets before bringing it crashing down onto the floor with a hideous smash. Bane growled his disapproval but didn't notice as Cat Noir came at him.

The teen hero had his batons in hand and he threw one of them at Bane's ankles. The red-skinned strongman watched, wondering what his opponent was up to. Did he seriously think that little stick could stop him? But then the baton hit his ankles and began to wrap around his ankles. The wire was strong and tightly wound around him, keeping his feet together. Still holding the other baton, Cat Noir pulled on it. This caused the masked man to cry out as his legs were yanked out from underneath him. He came crashing down, causing the floor to shudder and more cracks to start spreading, reaching out as far as they could. Bane tried to pick himself up but he was too late to do anything as Batman threw another ice canister at him. The gadget hit the strongman's legs, freezing them to the floor and pinning him down. It wouldn't hold him forever but it would hold him down long enough for he and his accomplices to finish the fight. Bane pulled on his legs, trying to free them.

"PENDEJO! IMPOSSIBLE! I AM BETTER THAN YOU BATMAN! **I AM YOUR SUPERIOR!** " Bane exploded, rage flowing through him.

"You're nothing Bane." Batman retorted, his voice colder than a winter's night in Gotham.

He grabbed Bane's mask and tore it off, exposing the hideous red face and the pulsing yellow veins underneath. Without hesitating, Batman proceeded to tear the mask in half, forcing the akuma to leave the mask and flutter around like the lost little butterfly it was. That was when Ladybug came in, sending her yoyo outwards at the Akuma and snagging it inside her special weapon. Letting out her battle cry, Ladybug swung her yoyo around the room, de-evilising the butterfly inside her weapon. Her fingers glowing pink as she released the creature, the bluenette heroine swiped Bane's mask from the floor and tossed it into the air, watching on as it exploded into a bright pink sparkles, which dashed around the room, undoing the damage that was done to it during the fight...up including Bane's cage, which reappeared around the brutal mastermind, trapping him back inside as he returned to his normal state of appearance.

Letting out a groan of defeat, Bane's head fell forward as he went deeply unconscious, allowing the trio of heroes to let out a big sigh of relief.

"My gosh was that close or what?!" Cat Noir exclaimed.

"Hawk Moth, The Joker, The Riddler, even your bodyguard...they've all been tough opponents." Ladybug agreed, wiping her forehead, "But Bane...whew, even I thought we were doomed there!"

"I was convinced we were in for the fight of our lives." Batman muttered, brushing dust off his cape, "Bane was the worst inmate that Hawk Moth could've akumatized. He quite literally chose the worst of the worst."

The two teens nodded grimly. Anyone of these inmates could've been akumatized but one would've been as bad as Bane. Not even the Scarecrow.

"But despite Bane being contained for now, that doesn't mean this is over." Batman continued, his scowl deepening, "Hawk Moth akumatized him, meaning he is in the building somewhere. And The Joker will be with him too."

"It would explain how he knows your biggest enemies are here and who to akumatize." Cat Noir noted.

"We've gotta search this place up and down until we find those two before they turn another inmate into an akuma minion!" Ladybug declared, "Believe me when I say I DON'T wanna know what an akumatized Penguin will be like!"

In any normal situation, the joke would've been considered funny. But in this case, it wasn't even a joke. More like a statement of fact that the two black-clad heroes couldn't argue with. The two villains were still at large, meaning anybody could still be akumatized at this moment. They had to stop them before it was too late. Switching his cowl to detective mode, Batman glanced up at the ceiling and took notice of the air vent. Thanks to the tech built into the cowl, he pretty much gained an x-ray vision of the room and saw where the air vent went up to. His lips going deeper downwards, Batman clenched his fists as the realisation hit him.

"It came from the kitchen. It's just upstairs, a few levels above ground." he informed them as he fired his grappling gun to the air vent. Clinging to the wall, Batman tore off the vent door, getting ready to do the task of climbing and crawling.

"That means Joker and Hawk Moth could be there too! We'll meet you there, Batman!" Ladybug called as she and Chat headed towards the door.

It was a good thing they'd be going to the kitchen, given they could quickly feed their Kwamis while they were at it. That's if Joker and Hawk Moth weren't there.

Coming outside, they found several more guards that had partially recovered from their injuries.

"The beefcake is all yours" Ladybug briefly said as she and Chat went past them, going back towards the stairway that would take them up to the higher levels of the asylum.

Chat Noir couldn't help but feel his stomach tightening as he realised the possibility of fighting his father, what seemed to be, to the death was getting nearer, and certainly left a thoughtful hard look upon his masked face. Part of Chat would never forgive his father for everything he had done in his activities as Hawk Moth, even desiring to pound him to a pulp for being every uncaring, neglectful bit he was when he wasn't Hawk Moth. But another part of him still felt that tapping, secondly thoughtful thinking as he couldn't sink to the low depths Hawk Moth himself he sunken to.

 _He maybe an evil scumbag...but he's still my dad._ the young boy thought, _I suppose he deserves that little bit of mercy._

He pushed the thought out of his mind as he raced upstairs after Ladybug to find the stairs to the kitchen.

* * *

Up in said kitchen, Hawk Moth was throwing the biggest tantrum he had ever thrown in his life. He had been flailing around, smashing this and that with his cane and sending whatever was in his way flying across the room. The Joker just watched, casually stuffing his face with packets upon packets of crisps. He'd already scoffed two packets and was eating through a third one. It was like he watching one big show rather than a man in a fit of rage, and one he was enjoying very much. He watched as Hawk Moth whacked one of the ovens again with his cane, denting it heavily.

"Whoo, hoo! Yeah! Take that oven! That'll teach you to have a fire worse than Hawk Moth's!" The Joker cried excitedly, spraying crumbs out of his mouth.

"You think this is funny you white-faced lunatic?!" Hawk Moth snarled, picking up a huge put and throwing it at The Joker with all his might, "YOU DARE RELISH IN MY ANGER?!"

The Clown Prince of Crime only just had time to duck as the huge pot came close to hitting him in the head. He watched as it sailed past and crashed into a cupboard, knocking the door off and causing jars of herbs, spices and salt and peppers to spill out, falling onto the floor with a heavy crash. The contents littered the floor. The Joker just laughed as if this was just another funny moment in a comedy show for him.

"Wow, you totally took out that poor innocent cupboard my moth-obsessed friend!" The Joker taunted, "And here I thought for one crazy moment you was trying to HIT me!"

He clutched his sides as he broke into another fit of insane laughter. Hawk Moth was only just about able to restrain himself from throttling The Joker to death here and now. He could feel his veins standing up as if about to burst. His face was redder than sunburn underneath his mask. Instead of beating his clown accomplice, he just took a moment to scream at the ceiling and slam his cane onto the floor.

"How could this happen?! I practically had the best akuma villain I ever created! I ALMOST HAD THOSE MIRACULOUSES IN MY HANDS!" he ranted, "Ooooohhhh, I'd give my entire right arm if I could get my hands on those gems once and for all!"

"Well I happen to have a meat cleaver on me right now, would that be sufficient?" The Joker snickered, picking up said kitchen utensil. With The Joker, you could never tell if he was being funny or serious.

"What is the matter with you?!" Hawk Moth snapped viciously, "Batman will be up on his way towards us, as will Ladybug and Cat Noir, and all you can do is make bad jokes?! Does anything ever bother you in life?!"

The Joker tossed the meat cleaver over his shoulder casually.

"Hawky, Hawky, Hawky...my dear, ill-humoured friend..." he purred, "I see no point in being mad all the time. All that anger, all that rage, all that fury! How can anybody live with themselves with such tempers?! It takes the fun out of life! That is why I'm always one to make jokes. Life is one big punchline to me! And how can anybody enjoy it when they waste all that energy they could have having a good laugh away on anger and temper tantrums?"

He put an arm around Hawk Moth and leaned in close. For one sickening moment, the akuma master thought his accomplice was about to kiss him.

"That is why I make the jokes Hawk Moth. It's pretty much my idea of finding light in the tunnel." the clown criminal went on, "And I don't like it when my sense of humour is considered "bad"..."

The smile went away and was replaced with a down turned red line drawn across the crazed man's face. Hawk Moth shuddered. Had he just pushed the wrong buttons on his accomplice? But the frown didn't last very long. The Joker quickly smiled again and slapped the purple-suited man on the back.

"So where were we? Ah yes, thinking of a new plan to get those Mirauclouses!" the clown-themed serial killer cried jovially, "Given the terrible trio are coming our way, they're practically delivering those Miraculouses right into our hands! Now we have to think of how to get them off of them..." he winked.

"Well what's the plan then?" Hawk Moth asked, coming to accept that the Joker had a formed idea in whatever mad box of a mind he had.

Chuckling lightly, he headed over to the light switches.

"We give them a bit of darkness, of course. It's Batman's greatest tool so why not use it against him? Fight fire with fire as they say" he giggled as he flicked the lights off in the kitchen, plunging them both into deep darkness.

After a moment or two, Ladybug and Chat Noir reached the floor the kitchen was located on, so they headed through the set of doors and small hallways to reach the kitchen, taking notice of how untidy everywhere was.

"Everyone sure left in a hurry. Can't say I blame them." Ladybug noted quietly.

"Once we get in there, we knock them out as hard as we can, handcuff them and get the Butterfly Miraculous off of Gabriel. This has gone on long enough." Chat grimly added as they came towards the kitchen.

Taking notice of how quiet it all suddenly became, with the lack of light coming from the kitchen, Ladybug cautiously drew her yoyo from her waist, getting ready to use it in the slightest of moments.

"If they think the dark's gonna scare us, they've got another thing coming." Ladybug retorted.

Stealing her nerves, she swung the door open and rushed inside. Cat Noir followed her, immediately taking notice of how dark the kitchen was. He had his staff at the ready.

"Hawk Moth, Joker, come out and face your arrest!" Ladybug cried out.

"There's no escape for you two now!" Cat Noir added.

The two teens noticed that they couldn't see a thing in this room. It was too dark. How could they even be sure that Hawk Moth or The Joker were even in here? With Ladybug keeping her eyes peeled, Cat Noir searched for a light switch. His eyes were as powerful as a cats in this form, meaning he could see in the dark just like a cat could. He saw the switch and he flicked it up, turning all the lights on.

The kitchen was brought back into light, although the sight that lay before them made the French heroes wonder if they would've been better off if the lights had stayed off. The kitchen was in a terrible mess with all sorts of utensils, food and cutlery spilled all over. Arkham Asylum clearly had one hell of a messy cook.

"Puh, if I was a prisoner here, I wouldn't wanna eat if this is the state of the kitchen." Cat Noir muttered.

"Whoever caused this mess is clearly a slob. Anyway, it doesn't look as if the two are in here." Ladybug noted, looking around and seeing no signs of the two villains.

Cat Noir noticed that they weren't in sight either. Where were they? Had they left moments ago? If so, they could be anywhere in the asylum. They had to find the villains and fast!

"Looks like they already left, unless of course they're hiding." Cat Noir noted.

"We'll get looking for them and if they're not here, we'll wait for Batman to arrive and then..."

Ladybug got no further before suddenly, she and Cat Noir began to glow for seemingly no reason. It was so sudden that they even doubted if that was what was happening. One minute they were fine, the next they were suddenly glowing. They realised with horror why that was. Their powers had run out. Their Kwamis couldn't keep them in their superhero guises anymore.

Ladybug and Cat Noir had disappeared. Marinette and Adrien stood in their places. The two teens looked over one another in shock, horrified that this had happened just now.

"Oh no, not now!" Adrien cried.

"This is bad, so very bad!" Marinette exclaimed, "We've gotta get our Kwamis fed before anybody sees us! Or worse...if Hawk Moth or The Joker see us!"

"Good thing we ended up in a kitchen then." Adrien said brightly.

Marinette nodded agreeably. The kitchen maybe a mess but they still had to give their Kwami something to eat. If they couldn't then they wouldn't be able to use their powers. They both started to look around for anything their Kwami would like.

And yet neither teenager was aware that the two villains they were looking for were closer than they thought...and they had seen everything. Once the lights had been switched off, The Joker and Hawk Moth had hidden themselves in a pantry and had waited for the heroes to arrive. They had planned to ambush the two teens from behind and get their Miraculouses. But having watched them transform back to normal through a crack in the door had changed everything. Now they were powerless, they could get the Miraculouses easily! Hawk Moth knew that he couldn't use them yet given the Kwami needed to eat so he willingly hung back, waiting for the two to refuel their precious Kwami.

"Those Miraculouses...I can practically feel them..." he whispered to himself.

Joker nodded in agreement "In this case, I prefer tasting the power. So the blonde is your son? Typical pretty boy, can't believe he can fight." he whispered in response, making Hawk Moth roll his eyes in annoyance.

He watched closely as Adrien and Marinette were joined by Plagg and Tikki as they began to search through the cupboards of the kitchen to find the appropriate food for them.

"I don't think there'll be any cookies here, Tikki. It is an asylum after all" Marinette noted as she looked through the higher set of cupboards.

"That's fine, Marinette. Anything will do at this point." her sweet little Kwami replied as she looked around as well.

"They better have Camembert cheese, my stomach calls for it!" Plagg whined dramatically as he plopped down onto the side next to the pantry, making Adrien roll his eyes.

"You'll have to take what's here, Plagg. Quicker you get something down your throat, the quicker we can beat Joker and Hawk Moth!" he said bitterly as he grabbed a nearby plain cheese block, beginning to pull a bit of the food apart for the dark Kwami.

Marinette glanced at Adrien nervously as she fed Tikki some plain tea biscuits, which the red little creature began to take apart with her mouth chunk after chunk.

"Adrien...you need to take it easy. I know he was your...d-dad, but you can't be so obsessed or so angry right now. He can use that against you when he wants." she warned him in a firm tone.

She understood that getting so close to defeating someone who you personally knew was a big thing in the coming time, but letting it play upon one's mind was a rather ill thing to do. Plus, it would make him vulnerable to an akuma. Adrien had to stay positive.

"I just want this to be over with, Marinette. The sooner he's behind bars, the better. I don't want him to be a part of my life anymore" Adrian said grimly as he fed Plagg a few chunks of cheese.

"Oh man! Normal cheese sucks!" Plagg groaned after a few swallows.

That was when the table was flung upside down, as the door to the pantry flung open and out sprang Hawk Moth, who swatted Adrian across the face with his cane and sent his son dropping to the floor like a stone. Marinette gasped in shock at this, then the next thing she knew, Joker leapt out of the pantry giggling loudly as he tossed a big rag cloth over her face, allowing Hawk Moth to whack her in the legs, causing her to lose balance and dropped to the floor in pain.

"To think that Ladybug is nothing more than a mere child." Hawk Moth gloated, grinning with delight as he watched his nemesis crumple, "No wonder I've had such a hard time tracking down those Miraculous...I never would've expected you would be the one with the earrings!"

"Speaking of which, we'll be taking those if you don't mind!" The Joker sneered, removing the cloth from Marinette's face and grabbing her earrings.

"Get your hands off me you freak!" Marinette screamed, grabbing The Joker's hands and trying to wrench them away from her ears.

But the schoolgirl was fighting a losing battle. The Joker was much too strong for her. He held tight to the earrings and Marinette ended up howling in anguish as the clown criminal proceeded to rip them straight out of her lobes. Blood streaked down the sides of her neck and she was fighting back tears of pain as she clutched her ears. Adrien winced. He had never seen Marinette look so hurt before. It felt like a stab in the heart to see his love in so much pain. What sickened him more was how The Joker didn't even care he'd just wounded an innocent teenager. He just laughed as if the whole thing was hilarious to him.

"You sick, sadistic little bastard!" he screamed, standing up and throwing himself at The Joker.

His life didn't matter now, he would willingly let himself be gunned down if it meant he could make The Joker pay for hurting Marinette. But Hawk Moth had seized hold of his shirt and hauled him back. Adrien fought against his father, trying to get free but Hawk Moth wrapped an arm around him and held him tight against his body.

"Don't you try to resist me you wretched child!" Hawk Moth snarled, "As your father, I command you to relinquish your ring!"

"Go to hell Hawk Moth!" Adrien retorted.

"I'm not quite ready to go there yet." the moth-themed villain retorted, "And if you want give me your ring, I'll have to take it from you."

With that said, he tucked his cane under one arm and grabbed Adrien's hand with the ring on. The blonde boy fought back against his captor, trying to keep his hand tightly closed but Hawk Moth was too strong. Without his Miraculous power, he was too weak against the evil Miraculous wielder. Adrien cried out as Hawk Moth violently forced the boy's fingers open and slid the ring off. He threw Adrien onto the floor just before Marinette, the girl still clutching her bleeding lobes. She gasped as she saw the boy cradling his injured hand and put her own hands on him. They were stained with blood but Adrien didn't seem to mind that.

"I'm sorry milady..." he said weakly, looking as if he was too ashamed to even look at his love anymore.

"We couldn't have known..." Marinette replied, shedding a few tears over their failures. They had lost their Miraculouses. Gotham was going to be doomed unless Batman got here soon enough.

Hawk Moth was hysterical, laughing triumphantly at the very fact he now had the Cat Miraculous in his hands at last. This was the best day of his life and he wanted to savour it.

"Finally...the Miraculous are finally MINE!" he cried gleefully.

"Sorry Hawky, I think you got that wrong. The Miraculous are actually MINE!"

Hawk Moth only just had time to register the fact that The Joker had said those words before an ear-splitting bang echoed through the room. Marinette screamed and held tight to Adrien. They had just heard a gunshot...but surprisingly, it hadn't been aimed at them. They looked up to see an incredulous Hawk Moth standing there, his mouth open as if he couldn't believe what had happened.

A small, circular hole had appeared in his forehead. A small trickle of blood followed after. It seeped down over his nose and onto his chest. His hand fell open and The Joker quickly shot his out to grab the Cat Ring as it fell out to the floor. He grabbed it just as Hawk Moth crumpled, his eyes wide open and blood still seeping out of the small bullet wound. The light had faded from his eyes. Adrien cringed. Even though his father was a cruel, sadistic monster, he hadn't wanted him to die, not like this.

The Joker, who had already put the Ladybug earrings on, admired the ring for a moment whilst blowing smoke away from the gun he had used to kill Hawk Moth. He looked very pleased with himself.

"Well...looks like you truly went out with a bang there Hawk Moth." he sneered, "Now then, to see what happens when I put this ring on as well..."

Marinette reached out a desperate hand, not caring about the sharp stinging of her ears at this point. She needed to do all she could in preventing the clown from slipping the ring on.

"N-NO, DON'T!" she pleaded, only for Joker to kick her hand away, causing Adrian to catch hold of her before she could hit the floor.

Yet he himself tried to get through to the green haired nutcase in front of him and Marinette.

"DON'T PUT IT ON, JOKER!" He pleaded, only for Joker to rudely block his ears and dance a little.

"LA LA LA LA, CANT HEAR YOU, PRETTY BOY!"

Plagg and Tikki let out a loud scream as they vanished into their Miraculouses once the Joker slipped the ring on his finger. That was when the respective colours of the earrings and the ring began to swirl upwards and downwards, mixing in across the Joker's body upon making contact with each other. Blurring in to form a deep purple darker than the Joker's coat and a mustardy yellow, the colours began to swarm Joker's body, his grin still ever present as he felt a hot feeling shoot right through him like hundreds of matches were set off inside of him.

"OHHHH YES! NOW THATS A MAD FLAVOUR I CAN TAKE!" He laughed loudly as he hovered off his feet, his body almost unrecognisable due to the swarm of colours.

At this point, Batman reached the air vent door to the kitchen and he was in quite a rush, given he could hear everything from where he was. He could just about make out the glow of the colour's in the kitchen, but it didn't stop him from going on inside.

As Batman kicked the vent open, he let himself into the kitchen and found himself met with quite possibly the worst sight he could see. His eyes widened as he saw the mixture of red, black and purple swirl around The Joker. A terrified Marinette and Adrien watched, unable to take their eyes away from the monstrous transformation before them. Batman saw they were in their normal guises and immediately put together what had happened.

"Oh shit..." he murmured. It was all he could say as he held up an arm to protect his eyes from the light.

"We couldn't stop him Batman! We're so sorry!" Marinette wailed, closing her own eyes to protect them from the light too.

Closing their eyes made no difference though. It was still too bright for them. The moment they uncovered their eyes, they saw that the transformation had been completed. The Joker was no longer just a criminal with a clown theme. He was now a god, and a terrifying looking one at that. His green hair waved about as if he was underwater. His eyes were plain yellow and glowing, and his grin somehow seemed to have increased in size. He wore only black purple-striped trousers and a purple sash. His naked torso seemed to have tattoos on them with yellow lines curling around his arms and a purple five pointed star shape with curved points instead of straight ones on his chest. Even his bare feet had tattoos on too.

The Joker let out a cackle of glee as he admired himself over, clearly impressed with the transformation. His voice sounded amplified, a deep, godly echo backing every sound he made.

 **"Now this is fun..."** he purred, **"I can have all the fun I want with this power! HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA! FROM THIS DAY ONWARDS, CHAOS! REIGNS! SUPREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMEEEE!"**

* * *

 _ **I...I...(gulps)...I've got nothing. Just...just tune in next time. Maybe The Joker will spare us long enough for that... 0_0**_

 _ **Also MAJOR apologies to all my readers for taking so damn long to continue with this. Me and my co-writer Reece ended up doing our own thing for a while and the story sorta got shelved for the time being. We're so sorry for the long wait readers. Please forgive us. ^^;**_

 _ **We're back on track though so be sure to tune in for the final two chapters that will be coming VERY, VERY soon! :D**_


	15. Chapter 14: Disastrous

**Chapter 14: Disastrous**

The whole situation Marinette, Adrien and Batman found themselves in was completely turned upside down and the odds had doubled infinitely times higher. For Batman it was his worst nightmare coming true, while Marinette and Adrien were left fear struck for they couldn't believe the powers of their Miraculouses were now combined and were to be used for devastating purposes.

From where he was floating, Joker smoothed his hands over his bare torso, smirking in delight as he examined himself.

 **"Oh yes, yes, now this is called taking it to the next level! Gotta say, I could give Superman a run for his money! If he had any since he doesn't get paid, HAHAHAHA!"**

He flexed his muscles, feeling the power within him surging through his veins. Every move he made just seemed to make him feel powerful, even if he moved so much as a centimetre. He had no idea being a god would feel this incredible. Now to test his power...

 **"What shall I do first..."** The Joker purred, his sadistic grin still present as he mulled over his options, "First, I should see what this mode has in store, THEN decide what to do!"

He waved his hands, the golden aura around him glowing brighter as some kind of energy ball began to form in between his palms. Batman gasped. He had been around his friends in the Justice League and other teams long enough to know exactly what to expect when something like that happened. He leapt towards The Joker, keen to stop him before he could launch his attack. But he was too slow. The clown-turned-god unleashed the energy blast and laughed maniacally as he watched it tear through the entire kitchen as if it was made of cardboard.

Marinette and Adrien had already moved out of the way and couldn't even watch as a huge section of the room was completely obliterated. If it was possible to see what was happening, they would've seen every single atom just disappear into nothing. But the attack was so bright that had the teens not closed their eyes, they would've been blinded.

Batman had been hit full on by the light and while he wasn't hurt, he fell backwards and winced as his eyes stung for a moment. He wasn't used to so much light, not while he was so nocturnal in nature. The Joker admired his handiwork as his attack concluded and saw the charred remains of what he'd just done. He whistled, impressed with himself.

 **"So...I can basically nuke everything in sight! This is my idea of fun!"** he boomed gleefully, **"Who knew those Miraculous packed so much punch?!"**

He then flung his arm out and out from his sash came a yo-yo, only it was a lot darker, and four spikes stuck out from all around it. Humming with interest, Joker twirled in the air and shot it outwards at the wall opposite him. His grin broadened with glee as he watched it slice through the walls like a knife through butter.

An excited giggle escaped his throat as the string connected to the yo-yo glowed a menacing mixture of yellow and green. What followed was a shivering hiss of materials melting into puddles of acid as the wall disintegrated into the liquid like it was melting ice. Sniffing the air, Joker grinned.

 **"Ohhh hoo hoo, very steamy! Can't wait to see this whole playhouse sink into the ground! Just my type of fun!"** the godlike clown exclaimed as he summoned the spikey yoyo to his side.

His frightening eyes trailed over to Batman as the vigilante began to regain his sight.

 **"Don't worry, Bats, this changes nothing between you and me, no no! The fire is gonna be bigger this time and I'll make sure what's left of Arkham will be your grand seat! It would be a lovely view to see all of Gotham sink to the ground after all!"**

He then swooped towards him and grabbed his nemesis by the throat. Even though he had no particular reason to, he was still floating above the floor. He hoisted Batman up to his height, his hand tightly closed around the Gotham vigilante's throat. Batman choked and grabbed hold of the Miraculous god's wrists, desperate to make him let go. He could feel his air supply depleting as he was strangled. The Joker's glowing eyes fixed on him, the light feeling like flames on his face.

"Joker...stop..." Batman croaked feebly.

The pathetic plea seemed to humour the clown for he just laughed in response.

 **"Stop?! STOP?! I have power beyond what anybody can imagine Bats and you want me to STOP?!"** he exclaimed, his voice reverberating around what was left of the room, **"You continue to make me laugh Batsy, you really do! It'll make my killing joke a real gutbuster when I finish you off!"**

He then let go of Batman and in the split second his hand released the Dark Knight's throat, he threw a punch that could shatter concrete directly into Batman's chin. If his armour wasn't so tough and his body wasn't so well defined, Batman imagined his skull would've been shattered. He didn't even cry out as he was sent into the ceiling and slammed into it heavily. The impact knocked the wind out of him as he fell back to earth. The Joker caught him and threw him into what remained of a broken wall nearby. As Batman hit it, Marinette cried out in anguish for her friend.

"BATMAN!" she wailed.

The godly jester turned around and the grin on his face seemed to widen as he reminded himself that Marinette and Adrien were still here. Rubbing his hands together, he levitated towards them.

 **"You know, I really ought to thank you two miscreants."** he sneered, **"You're the reason I'm this magnificent powerhouse right now so allow me to show my gratitude to you both...BY SLICING YOU UP LIKE SALAMI! AH, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA!"**

He drew out his demonized version of Ladybug's trademark weapon and prepared to swing it at the helpless teens. Adrien grasped Marinette and cringed as he braced himself for impact. He and his girlfriend would've been dead if not for Batman intervening at the right time. The vigilante had picked himself up and thrown a Batarang at the yo-yo. It merely shattered to pieces against the weapon but it had the desired effect. The Joker turned around to look at his nemesis, who was standing with great effort and using all his strength to stand.

"Leave them alone! It's me you want Joker. They're not a part of this!" Batman rasped.

The Joker just snorted as he turned to face his opponent, the yo-yo spinning around in his hands.

 **"Well YOU dragged them into it Batman so technically, yes, they ARE part of this!"** he sneered, **"But if you want to die first then be my guest! At least the kiddies get a good show to watch before their turn comes!"**

Batman clenched his fists, thankful that his suit was helping him withstand against the powerful blows of his godly nemesis. He knew now, though, that he was fighting the likes of Black Adam on his own, and those types of people wouldn't hold back. But Joker was unpredictable, so he'd have to play it carefully.

"Bring it then, Joker. It's you and me now. Isn't that what you always wanted?" Batman spoke, a slight hint of mockery in his ever so grim voice.

Joker gave off a childish clap, almost rather lazily as his smile shrank to resemble a more calmer looking one.

 **"So here it ends, Batsy. It's been a great ride, one I've enjoyed a lot!"**

With that exclamation, Joker rocketed forwards like a bullet. Batman swiftly dropped a smoke bomb and dove to the side, only for Joker to snag him by the ankle, chuckling coldly.

 **"You think I'm falling for that trick, Bats? So predictable!"**

Following this, he tossed Batman through the kitchen window, sending him flying into the mess room. Rolling to his feet, Batman ducked an incoming swipe from the yo-yo, suppressing a flinch as he saw it slice through the surrounding walls of the room.

Joker stormed after the vigilante, shattering a section of the wall and sending a big lump of debris after his way. Narrowly rolling under the incoming concrete ball, Batman bumped his fists together and his gloved fingers crackled with electricity. He swiftly delivered an uppercut to Joker, delivering a big blast of electricity with each blow he landed on the godly clown, beating him towards the hole he made behind him.

The grin never left Joker's face, and with each punch made his eyes widen bigger, a frightful joy in them. He caught both hands of his enemy, stopping his onslaught for a moment.

 **"Gotta say Bats, they really tickle! But it's not that fun if you ask me!"**

Batman cried out as his hands suddenly felt like they were burning on top of a fiery log, with steams of heat rising from the Joker's hands as they heated up his hands. Reacting quickly, Batman brought his legs up and hit Joker hard in the stomach, freeing him from his grip for a brief moment. Ignoring the stinging of his hands, Batman brought out his grappling gun and fired it past Joker. Once it made it's intended impact in the other room, Batman zipped forward and delivered a hard hook to Joker's cheek as he went past him.

The Dark Knight swiftly unconnected his grappling hook from the wall and exited the room, firing it away to the gantry ahead of him as he could feel Joker hot on his tail.

 **"Ohh, cat and mouse!? I love how the tables have turned!"** Joker laughed as he blasted after his nemesis.

Back in the kitchen, Adrian helped Marinette to her feet, gently smoothing her cheeks to deliver warm comfort. His eyes sunk with sadness as he saw the horrendous state of her ears. Such a beautiful girl like her shouldn't receive such sickening treatment, yet he knew the likes of Joker enjoyed this sort of cruelty.

"Marinette? You okay? Mari?" He asked worriedly with his eyes full of worry, seeing she was still in slight pain.

"I couldn't be worse off." the bluenette sighed, "Losing my earrings was one thing but now The Joker's become a god with our Miraculouses, the very thing that Hawk Moth desired! It's like our worst nightmare outdone by this nightmare happening right now!"

She threw her arms around Adrien and began to sob, more out of fear than sadness.

"Let's face it Adrien, it's the end of the world for us all!" Marinette sobbed, "And it's all our fault! We shouldn't have been so stupid when we came here looking for the two! We should've waited for Batman to come! Now thanks to us, The Joker will obliterate everything!"

She cried even harder, making Adrien feel like crying with her. The French teen already had low self esteem due to being a klutz in everyday life and now this was just breaking the camel's back for her. In her case, this was her greatest blunder, and now it was costing everybody their lives. Marinette couldn't contain her sorrow, not anymore. She could only wail as The Joker and Batman kept up their crusade together.

The two teens weren't even noticing as Batman sprayed explosive gel onto a piece of debris and threw it directly at the omnipotent clown. The Joker allowed the debris chunk to hit his face, knowing it wouldn't hurt him, and he didn't even flinch as Batman detonated the gel and created an explosion around his face. Laughing, he wiped away the cloud of smoke.

" **Ooooh, nice shot Bats! I think you NEARLY hurt me!"** he taunted.

But the Miraculous god soon realised that Batman had disappeared. His glowing eyes scanned the room as he searched for his nemesis. Where could he have gone? Knowing him, he was hiding in whatever nook or cranny he could get himself into. Smirking arrogantly, The Joker summoned some dark energy to his hands and play them on the floor.

 **"Let's see what happens when I use kitty boy's little trick!"** he loudly announced, more to hear his own voice than to warn anybody.

As his hands came into contact, the floor beneath him began to decay and crack. It didn't stop there though. The plague that he had created spread around the entire room, making the floor, walls and ceiling give way and fall apart like a house set up for demolition. Batman had been hiding in one of the vents and he let out a blood-curdling scream as he plummeted down, the vent system rusting and breaking apart. The Joker just laughed uncontrollably as everything crumbled beneath his feet. He watched Batman fall down to the lower floor before descending after him, keen to get in on the fun.

As soon as he disappeared, Adrien looked up to see what had happened. There was only half a kitchen left. The room ahead had completely gone. He had no idea how much more had been destroyed too. All he knew was that he and Marinette were not safe here, not when this asylum could fall apart right on top of them. He lifted the crying girl's head up so she could meet his gaze.

"Come on Mari, we have to get outta here before this place falls to pieces!" he cried.

"But what about Batman?!" Marinette shrieked.

Adrien paused for a moment before his emerald eyes caught sight of his father's dead body, which was still in its Hawk Moth form. A thought hit Adrien hard and without even having second thoughts, he ran to his father's dead body and grabbed it by the arms, dragging him away from the incoming rot of the floor, heading towards the second exit of the room. He shivered at the cold feeling the hands were in, even though Gabriel wasn't dead for long.

"Adrien, wh-what are you doing?" Marinette gasped in confusion as she followed after him.

"I've got a plan, but you've gotta keep up!" He called after her as he kicked the door open with one of his feet.

Hurrying inside, they closed the door and jammed it shut behind them, putting safe distance between it and them before the rot would catch up.

For a moment, Adrian gazed down at the masked, limp face of his father, who's empty eyes gazed into the grey ceiling above him, the blood running from his forehead still wet and long. Adrian felt a shiver go through him as it dawned upon him that his possible only blood relative left was now gone from the world. His father might've been cruel in a lot of ways...but he still brought him into the world, and he was once a kind person, long before his mother vanished...

Sniffling, Adrian used two of his fingers to close Gabriel's eyes for the last time, knowing that any dead person needed them closed. Marinette watched on with a sympathetic look, knowing that whatever emotion Adrian was feeling right now was one of the most painful a human being could ever endure.

Mourning had to be brief, however, as the door began to freak and buckle as the rot began to devour it. Adrian sighed as he pulled the Butterfly broach from his father's neck, the body of Gabriel turning back to normal, with his whole face now pale.

Out from the brooch came Nooroo, who was sniffling and rubbing his head in pain. The poor Kwami endured a lot of suffering in the hands of Adrian's father, but feeling the bullet slam into his owner's head certainly hurt the Kwami a lot more.

"I-It's my fault...I shouldn't have helped him...it's all led to this, the end of the world! It's all over!" he wailed as he covered his eyes.

Cupping him gently in her hands, Marinette spoke softly to him.

"Nooroo, is it? Listen, this isn't your fault" the bluenette assured, though the purple Kwami continued to sob.

"B-But it is!" he retorted, dropping his gaze low. That's when Adrian stepped in.

"Not if you can help save the day, Nooroo." he said with a newfound confidence in his voice, surprising both Marinette and the Kwami.

"But...Adrian, we can't! Joker is a god now! I don't think the Justice League can stop him now!" the teenage girl exclaimed, not a sign of hope in her.

"Look, all we have to do is to get those Miraculouses off of him, and Nooroo can help us do that." Adrian replied, flicking as he heard the door handle drop to the floor.

"How'd you mean?" His lover replied, a frown on her soft face. Adrian glanced at the Butterfly Brooch before looking at Nooroo.

"Look, I know my dad put you through a lot, and I might be a jerk for saying this...but can you transform me into Hawk Moth?" he asked in a hopeful tone.

The moth-esque kwami's eyes seemed to sparkle and his wings began to flap excitedly. He fluttered up out of Marinette's hands, grinning from ear-to-ear. It seemed that he thought Adrien was anything but a jerk. He even appeared to have WANTED to hear Adrien say those words for years.

"Adrien, I'm all too happy to grant your wish!" Nooroo exclaimed, "I've wanted nothing more than to be your kwami after seeing the goodness in your heart whenever you and your father interacted. I knew that you were the one I'd happily choose over Gabriel and now that dream has come true!"

The blonde boy's face lit up. It made Marinette feel good inside to see Adrien looking so happy for the first time in a while. She could now understand what Adrien's plan was.

"Looks like Joker made a mistake NOT taking the broach too!" she jeered.

"Exactly. Now we have somewhat of a fighting chance." Adrien explained, "So what's my calling card?" he asked, glancing at Nooroo.

"Place the broach on your chest and yell "Light wings, rise"." Nooroo explained, "That'll transform you into Papillion and you'll be able to use my power for good at last."

Adrien couldn't help but smile at the name. Papillion, the French word for butterfly. It was all so very appropriate. He placed the broach on his chest, attaching it to his shirt.

"When I become Papillion, I'll use my power to make you a superhero again so you can fight too Marinette." Adrien said, glancing at his love with a warm smile.

"I'll laugh if you turn me into a purple version of Ladybug." the teen schoolgirl snickered.

With no time left to waste, Adrien closed his eyes and held out his arms.

"Nooroo..." he began slowly, "Light wings, rise!"

Straight away in response, Nooroo dived into the brooch, which glowed a light lavender, which began to sparkle around Adrian while a cloud of a slightly lighter purple enveloped him. In a few seconds, as the cloud went from head to toe, it faded away to reveal someone other than Adrian or Chat Noir.

Standing before her in all his glory was Papillon. His hair wasn't crazed like Chat Noir's, it was combed like Adrian's, only a lot neater. His eyes were completely lavender, save for his pupils. His eye mask was black and shaped like that of a butterfly, while from his neck to his chest was a triangular purple shape, with his forearms to his fingertips coated in purple, with smooth matching accents streaming downwards and connecting at his waist. The Butterfly Broach was somewhat sown into fabric and covered by a sleek glass dome. A pair of butterfly wings were sticking out of his back, both a dark shade of purple while lavender tracks traced back to their middle. He smiled warmly at Marinette, feeling his injuries were now long gone by the magic of the Kwami.

"So that's what it feels like to use a Miraculous other than mine for a change..." Papillion murmured, admiring himself in awe.

Marinette just stared at the transformed boy, breath-taken by the new superhero standing before her with her eyes all a twinkle.

"Wow...you look good in purple!" she blurted, blushing a little. It hadn't been her first thought on what she was going to say but she had meant those words.

"Heh, thanks." Papillion said, "Now let's see what my butterflies can turn you into."

Several butterflies began to dance around the purple-clad Miraculous wielder, seeming to come from nowhere like they did for Hawk Moth. Unlike his father before him though, this butterfly dance looked more calm, elegant and somewhat peaceful in nature. It was as if Papillion was in touch with nature itself. He watched with awe as the butterflies came and he held out his hand, inviting one of them to land. One of the winged insects accepted the invitation and landed on his palm. Papillion covered it with his other hand and watched with amazement as a lilac glow began to form around the butterfly in his hand. He uncovered it, revealing the insect's new colours. It was bright purple with pink accents on the wings. Now the transformation was done, Papillion allowed the butterfly to fly away. Marinette held her arms out, inviting the insect to come to her. It flew into her chest, disappearing from sight and filling Marinette with an incredible sensation that made it feel as if any and all injuries from earlier had disappeared. She gasped with amazement as her body was bathed in pink and purple light that began to expand around her...

Meanwhile, Batman found himself sprawling on the grass outside of Arkham, groaning in pain as he was covered with dirt, grass and water. It had begun to rain and he was instantly soaked by the downpour. The weather change seemed to have come from nowhere, almost as if The Joker had commanded it to do so though he couldn't be certain. The vigilante picked himself up, amazed he could even stand again. His suit was heavily cracked and his cape was nothing more than tattered rags. Some of the pouches on his belt had holes in them and the contents had fallen out, giving him less gadgets than before. He couldn't win this fight, not when The Joker was so invincible right now. He had only one hope...

Pressing the side of his cowl, he frantically began to speak into the com system built into it.

"Alfred, this is Batman, send a call for the Justice League. I need their help now!"

His response was the worst response he could get, a crackle of static. He swore angrily. His com was damaged, meaning he couldn't call for help. But he did have another solution. One of his arm gauntlets wasn't too damaged so he flipped open the computer screen built into it and tapped a few buttons on it. His Batwing jet had a com system that he could use to call for help so he would bring it to him. He could also use it to fight The Joker, keep him busy until help arrived.

"I hope it won't be too late..." he murmured as he sent the command to the jet.

A huge boom rumbled through the asylum as The Joker suddenly exploded his way through the roof, cackling menacingly as lightning flashed and thunder clapped as if in response to his exit. The omnipotent serial killer barely noticed the rain as it splashed down on him and he corkscrewed through the air towards Batman. Straining heavily, Batman forced himself to dodge as his opponent slammed down onto the grass, kicking up chunks of dirt and soil with the impact he created. The force of the blow caused Batman to stumble and roll over onto his back but he didn't stay down for long. He looked up to see The Joker stand up and flex his biceps. His great chest heaved up and down as he let fly another crazed laugh.

 **"Heh, always quite liked the rain. I'll miss it when there's nothing but a wasteland left!"** he chuckled coldly as he gazed up at the sky, not blinking as several raindrops hit his eyes.

He continued to stare into the sky before glancing down at his spiked yo-yo. A rotten grin crossed his features as he looked at Batman.

 **"Y'know, Ladybird's yo-yo can stretch out a limitless distance. What if I were to um, y'know, shoot this out to the Watchtower? I know some of your super friends can't breathe in space!"** he giggled as he pictures the image in his head.

Batman heaved as he steadied himself, beginning to storm towards Joker.

"Don't. You. Dare" he warned, a vicious tone to his grim voice. Joker just giggled in response at his enemy's threat.

 **"Oh Batsy Batsy, don't you see now? The joke's on you. Soon enough there'll be no heroes, no good will. Just madness and destruction. So beautiful. And that scares you, doesn't it? Batsy getting scared now? Don't worry, I'll save you to last when it's all over."**

The second Joker flicked his wrist, Batman reacted quickly, this time behaving out of instinct. He barrelled right into Joker and wrapped his arms around his torso, gripping a cryogenic grenade in one of his hands. He swiftly smashed it against Joker's back and dropped to the ground to avoid getting covered by the ice, which enveloped Joker and he dropped to the grass like a stone.

Batman tried to act fast, bringing up his right gauntlet as he began to find in it's built in com to connect to the Batwing, but his ears picked up the shattering of ice, then the wind from his gut was knocked right out of him as he lost his footing and smashed into the gated fence of Arkham behind him, denting the railings hard.

Deflated and tired, the vigilante collapsed to the ground, just barely holding himself up with his hands. Glancing upwards, he saw Joker hovering towards him, his grin not shrinking in the slightest as he readied his yo-yo.

 **"As I said, when I killed poor little Jason: the Joke's on you, Batman!"** he cackled as he plopped down beside his enemy, hooking his arm around his neck **"Don't worry, I'll keep you company. You'll probably enjoy it in the end..."** he assured in a slightly softer tone, but took in such joy at seeing how tired his nemesis looked.

"Ungh...you know me...Joker..." Batman grunted, using whatever strength he had left just to so much as speak to his arch-enemy, "I'm not...the humorous type..."

 **"I know, but who knows? Maybe I can finish this chaos with you laughing your way to the grave!"** the empowered maniac snickered.

He began to spin his yo-yo around, clearly intending to launch another attack. Batman imagined he was going to start wrecking more of the Asylum and then maybe plough through Gotham. And then he'd probably go with his earlier threat and destroy the Watchtower. And yet all hope of defeating him seemed to reside on his jet getting here so he could use it to fight back and contact the Justice League. But Batman began to doubt that his plan would work. There was probably not even going to be anything left by the time The Joker was done.

Laughing insanely, The Joker aimed his yo-yo at Arkham Asylum, intending to destroy what was left of the place.

 **"This dingy little prison needed a make-over anyway!"** he chortled.

But as he prepared to launch his onslaught, a swift blast of purple seemed to come out of nowhere and hit him, cutting him off with his assault and making him cry out. It was the first time that an attack had actually managed to hurt him. He barely even staggered but he had felt the blow. He growled in annoyance, angered that this had happened.

 **"Alright, who's the wise guy who thinks he can trade blows with me?!"** he demanded.

"Try looking up jester!" sneered a familiar voice that neither Joker, nor Batman, had expected to hear.

Both turned their gazes upward to see Papillon glaring down at Joker, his wings flapping steadily with his arms crossed over his chest. Joker's grin faltered a bit. Not out of fear, but out of confusion, while Batman's face was full of wonder.

"Adrian?" He asked distantly, no one in particular.

"This ends today, Joker! No one else is going to die because of you!" Papillon said sternly, his eyes not twitching in the slightest.

 **"Hang on...you sound familiar...the pretty boy? Then if you're here...where's the French lady?"** The Joker pondered.

"You're asking the wrong person!" Joker was then sent barrelling across the grass and slammed into the wall opposite him, covered in soil and grass patches, yet no sign of injury...aside from a slight bruise to his back.

Shaking the dizziness away, Joker's eyes widened slightly in shock as his attacker appeared.

Standing before him was neither Ladybug nor Marinette. Standing before him as she recalled her weapon, there stood a bluenette girl clad in a magical dark purple bodysuit, with a black midriff from below her chest to her waist, while her gloves and boots were a slightly darker red. Two handles stuck out from her back, while a purple shield with black spirals was beside her left forearm. Her face was partially covered by a cowl of sorts, leaving her hair and mouth bare, but her nose was covered like that of how Batman's was.

Madame Beetle gazed upon Joker with a hard look as Papillon came to her side.

 **"Looks like Bats isn't the only one with a surprise in every inch of his body."** The Joker muttered, **"So how did you suddenly get super-powers again?!"**

"You really shouldn't have left Hawk Moth's body with us." Madame Beetle sneered.

Batman took this in, understanding what had happened. The Joker had left Hawk Moth's body behind, meaning that the teens could take his Miraculous and use it against him. Now it seemed that they had a fighting chance. But he knew that their chances for victory were slim. The Butterfly Miraculous wouldn't have the power to match The Joker's combined power of the Ladybug and Cat Miraculouses. At best, it just meant The Joker had an opponent that would be less squishy. They would still need the Justice League. Unless...

 **"So it seems I made a slight error in my quest to raze the place."** The Joker sighed, **"And it wasn't very funny...but maybe I can make your defeats VERY satisfying and gut-busting! Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!"**

He held his hands together and fired a huge blast of energy at the two teens. Madame Beetle reacted quickly and held her shield in front of herself and Papillion. The blast was powerful enough to throw them back but the shield was tough enough to protect them from it. After the attack was over, Madame Beetle drew out a pair of swords that resembled the horn of a stag beetle and came charging towards the empowered jester, a determined look in her eyes. The Joker seemed to find this amusing as he guffawed whilst leaping towards his opponent. The two clashed with one another, the French girl swiping out with her swords and The Joker swinging his arms out. His godly state made him impervious to dismemberment so the swords couldn't slice him up but that didn't make him immune to pain. Madame Beetle's attack had left his arms stinging and he took a moment to wince, giving Madame Beetle time to slash upwards with her twin swords. The Joker grunted and reacted with a powerful punch to the face on her. He sent the beetle-themed heroine spiraling away but she managed to recover before she could hit the ground, stopping just above it. Gritting her teeth, she flew back towards her opponent.

Meanwhile, Papillion had flown down towards Batman and was helping him up. He could see how much pain the Gotham vigilante was in and he knew what he would have to do.

"Keep it together Batman, I'll get you healed up." he said softly.

"Ungh...it was clever of you...to think to use Hawk Moth's Miraculous." Batman commented, "But...you and I both know...it's not enough."

"I know, that's why me and Marinette plan to distract him so at least one of us can get the Miraculouses away from the Joker." Papillion explained, "If we can get at least one of them away, he'll power down."

"Good plan...and I could potentially...help with that." Batman grunted, "I've...called the Batwing to come. I could have it fly down into him...might stun him...long enough for us...to de-power The Joker."

"Let's get you healed up first." Papillion said.

Papillon placed his hands on Batman's shoulders and spread over a wash of purple across the vigilante's body, which shivered instinctively before relaxing as he felt every tear of skin and every deep bruise fade into nothingness, the gentle healing work of the Miraculous delivering newfound strength to him. A faint smile crossed Batman's lips as he stood tall, regarding Papillon with a thankful nod. He had seen many miracles in his life, something that life with the Justice League guaranteed. But even now, he couldn't help but be impressed.

"I'll thank you later, Adrian. You and Marinette keep him busy. Go now." he said firmly.

Swiftly nodding in response, Papillon took to the sky and shot towards Joker, whom Madame Beetle walloped with her shield. Papillon twirled in a circle and formed a tornado around his body. It shot outwards and consumed Joker, sending him spinning upwards and going high in the air.

 **"Whoooooooooaaaaaaaaa! I guess you're trying to make me take a turn for the worst!"** he cried out as he was spun away. He felt like a leaf in a breeze inside the tornado.

He came to a stop high above Arkham Asylum before the tornado ended. He regained his composure and lowered his head. He looked as if he was about to charge. Madame Beetle flew towards him, her shield held in front to protect her from the expected charge. But the curious thing was, The Joker didn't move. He instead drew out his spiked yo-yo and laughed at the girl as if he'd played some kind of trick on her.

 **"Psyche!"** he taunted, swinging the yo-yo around in a circle and bringing it whooshing towards his opponent directly from the side.

He had baited the beetle-costumed heroine, making her think he was going to charge so now she was expecting him to do so. Because of this, Madame Beetle was too late to protect herself as the yo-yo struck her full on in the side, making her cry out as she was sent careening into the ground below. Angered, Papillion flew up towards his opponent with his staff held high and a stream of butterflies following him. Laughing manically, The Joker swung the yo-yo around again and began flicking it out several times. At first, Papillion held back instinctively, thinking The Joker was trying to hit him. But to his amazement, the clown-turned-god missed him several times. That was odd. Why as The Joker missing? Then he realized. His eyes widened with dismay as he saw The Joker was not in fact trying to aim at him.

The yo-yo was swatting at the butterflies, knocking them all away and causing them to drop like flies. Papillion didn't understand at first. Why hit the butterflies? But he soon realized that the answer was obvious. If he had no butterflies, he had less attack options to use against The Joker. The clown god had worked that out too and was making sure he had less weapons to use against him. The Joker was giggling inanely as if even this petty act was somehow wildly amusing for him.

 **"Good thing they called the exterminator earlier! They weren't kidding when they said they had a "pest problem"!"** he jeered, swatting more butterflies dead with his yo-yo.

That was when he let out a squeak as Madame Beetle tossed her shield up into a narrow spot of the human body, causing Joker to spin downwards with his grin faltering as he clutched his groin.

 **"Not funny! Not funny!"** he squealed loudly as hit the ground like a rock in water. Madame Beetle recalled her shield to her side and smirked in triumph, having wanted to do that to the clown at some point.

Groaning, Joker stumbled out of the crater he made, his grin twitching upwards as he pulled himself up, facing Madame Beetle.

 **"So you wanna play dirty, huh? Alright, sweet cheeks, bring it!"** he dares, not noticing Papillon hovering above him while Batman was stealthily coming up to him from behind with three grenade like objects in his hands.

Madame Beetle smirked in response.

"I've got a better idea. You like games, do you Joker? How about hide and seek?" she dared in return as she gave a nod to Papillon, who winked in response as he took aim with his staff.

Batman gotten the signal as well with the nod. At the same time, Papillon fired a cloud pf thick purple smoke at Joker, while Batman tossed out the grenades, which exploded a few inches away from the feet of his nemesis, shrouding him in a mixture of grey and purple smoke. A slight frown crossed Joker's face as he heard a flapping noise. Expecting to see Papillon behind him, Joker was instead blasted full in face with a swarm of butterflies, stunning him for a bit. He hadn't managed to kill them all so Papillion still had plenty to use. Growling savagely, The Joker turned around, his glowing eyes scanning the area around him for any sign of his opponents. Where were they? They were out of their minds if they thought they could stop him with a bunch of smoke and butterflies! His red lips formed a straight line across his face as he searched. He then felt something leap onto his back and grab at his ears, trying to take the earrings off. Batman had leaped on him and he was scrabbling madly, trying to grab the earrings so he could remove them. The Joker grabbed Batman by the wrists and wrenched his hands away. He swung the vigilante over onto his back as hard as he could, knocking the wind straight out of him.

Madame Beetle was the next to attack, throwing her swords at his face and slicing him as they hit, momentarily distracting him long enough for the girl to grab his hand and try to remove the ring. She held on tight as he flailed his arm around, trying to make her let go. The omnipotent jokester was secretly impressed with how well Madame Beetle was holding on. She was like a vice on his hand! But even she couldn't' hold on forever. Smirking, he grabbed hold of her legs with his other hand and hoisted her off the ground. He pulled on her legs, making the girl cry out as she was stretched. Even then, she refused to let go. The Joker could break her legs for all she cared, Madame Beetle wouldn't give up until she got the ring off his finger. Papillion fluttered into help, his wings beating quickly as he picked up speed. The Joker heard him coming and reacted quickly. He spun around just as Papillion raised his staff, aiming for his head, and he held up the beetle themed heroine in front of his face. Papillion couldn't stop himself as his staff swung down and sharply connected with his accomplice's back. Madame Beetle cried out. Even with the shield on her back, the attack was still powerful enough to hurt. Weakened by the blow, her grip loosened so The Joker finally wrenched his hand free and uppercut Madame Beetle into Papillion. The two insect-themed heroes were sent sprawling on the grass, which was soaked by the rain. They came to a stop, bits of dirt and grass plastered to their costumes and faces and water dripping off of them.

The Joker flexed his muscles, clearly delighted and feeling very triumphant. He roared with laughter as lightening flashed, turning him into a terrifying silhouette standing before the teens as he bore over them.

 **"You've been VERY entertaining, if slightly irksome at the same time, but entertaining nonetheless!"** he boomed, **"So just for that, I'll make your deaths as hilarious as possible! I might even let you both go out laughing! AH, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA!"**

He drew his yo-yo out and walloped the two, sending them hurling into the air a far distance as they were sent spinning over the gates and onto the tarmac outside. Batman watched as The Joker ploughed through the gate to continue pummelling them. He was about to do something, something that could keep him distracted long enough to let Beetle and Papillion get back up, but he was interrupted by the most timely arrival possible. He heard the rumble of jet engines in the sky and at first, thought it had been thunder. But as he looked up, he saw that it wasn't. The Batwing, sleek, flat and as dark as night itself, had finally arrived. The jet had a wide wing span and looked more like a stealth bomber than any normal plane. Batman allowed himself the pleasure of a smile. Now he could put his plan into action. It would be a shame to sacrifice the Batwing, but at the very least, it would slow The Joker down long enough to depower him.

"They might be armed with rubber bullets, but it'll have to do." he noted to himself as the Batwing soared over his head, and then it began its powerful assault.

Madame Beetle saw the incoming rain of bullets, so she grabbed Papillon and blocked Joker's incoming punches, thankful that her weapon was going to be strong enough to withstand the incoming storm.

Before Joker could deliver a mocking taunt, he was sent staggering forward as fierce bullets of rubber slammed into his back. Though they were made of rubber, the bullet's speed certainly hardened them enough to make sure they'd leave a strong impact.

He chuckled, however, as he stared down the Batwing, shielding his face from the near infinite amount of rubber bullets.

 **"Brought another toy, hey Bats!? This takes it to the next level!"** He giggled as he shot his right hand forward and swung his spikey yoyo in a circular manner in front of himself, shredding the bullets before they could send him stumbling back even more.

Noticing the bullets stopped pelting their shield, Papillon and Madame Beetle peeked over the shield and took notice of what Joker was doing. Seeing he was distracted, Papillon took hold of Madame Beetle's hand, giving her a stern look "This is it! Stay close to me! We go for the ring first!" he instructed. His lover nodded in response, not needing anything else to be said to get the task done.

Both crept towards the Joker from behind, slightly shielding their eyes from the colourful effect the spinning of the yoyo was giving off. Taking notice of Joker's left hand beside his leg, Papillon saw the opportunity to get his former Miraculous back as he saw it glinting from Joker's finger.

Gesturing at Madame Beetle to keep back, Papillon floated forward with his wings flapping as quietly as he could, keeping himself at a levelled height so as not to be hit by a stray rubber bullet. He had a feeling the Batwing was going too run out soon, and he couldn't risk that, for Joker would destroy the aircraft the second it stops firing.

Gripping his staff tightly, Papillon gritted his teeth as he roughly jabbed it into the back of Joker, startling the godlike clown, who instinctively sent his left hand backwards. Not wasting a second longer, Papillon grabbed his wrist and slid the ring off Joker's finger, clamping his hand tightly around it as a certain dark Kwami zipped out of the ring.

"Whew...that was some crazy stuff happening there!" Plagg slurred, his mind in a spin and his eyes unfocused as he tried to regain his senses.

As soon as the ring had been removed, The Joker immediately felt the effects as his glorious god like presence began to disappear. He cried out his disproval as he felt the power dissipate, the energy leaving his body as if being sucked out and swirling around him as the transformation from god to clown began. Batman watched with satisfaction, pleased that he wouldn't have to sacrifice the Batwing by crashing it into him after all. He left the jet on standby as he saw the swirl of energy and light pick up speed, spinning around him as fast as possible, before finally drifting away into the air and disappearing from sight. It was like watching a magic trick, albeit a pleasant one. The Joker was now on the ground, on his knees and panting as he felt himself over. He was no longer a god. He was back to normal and it filled him with rage that this had happened. He had more power than he'd ever had in his life...and it had just been taken away by Batman and two annoying teenagers!

He gripped his hair, looking like he was about to start tearing it out in rage, and he screamed a blood-curdling scream of anguish over his defeat.

"CURSE YOU THREE! YOU RUINED THE JOKE! **YOU RUINED MY PUNCHLIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINE!"** he wailed.

Madame Beetle giggled as she strutted up to him, sheathing her swords, "I'm afraid the joke's on you, Joker. Didn't think you took defeats so personally though!"

She snickered, leaving Joker alarmed at her usage of words. Not even the many Robins he encountered ever used that saying on him. Boy it felt like a sting to them backside.

Madame Beetle then bent down to Joker and roughly pulled the Ladybug earrings from the clown's ears, causing spurts of blood to shoot from his lobes. He yelped in alarm, covering his ears in frustration.

"Not a nice feeling, is it?" she taunted as Tikki swooped out of the earrings, a disgusted look on her face.

"Horrible! That was so horrible! I hope to never be bound to such a sickening soul ever again!" she spat, glaring down at Joker menacingly. Well, she tried to do it menacingly but instead, she just looked adorably angry. It was hard for a kwami to look threatening.

Joker let out a nervous giggle, not exactly liking his predicament as Papillon and Batman helped Madame Beetle surround him. He couldn't have found himself in a worse situation.

"Gee whiz, such sour faces!" The Joker said queasily, "Heh, heh...well uh...looking on the bright side, at least we had some laughs right?"

Batman responded by seizing The Joker by his collar and hoisting him up off the ground. The Clown Prince of Crime looked terrified, something that didn't happen every often as Batman jammed his face into his enemy's.

"I don't hear anybody laughing..." Batman hissed.

He then head-butted The Joker, knocking him out instantly, and he threw his body down onto the soaking wet grass. The rain splattered down over him, even on his closed eyes. They ran down his face, looking like tears. Tears of defeat no doubt. With the chaos finally over, Batman breathed the sigh of relief he had hoped he would be alive to do. How close Gotham had come to disaster! Too close in fact! He was just thankful the news wouldn't report on it, or at least know the full details as there had been no news choppers flying around. Batman did find himself wondering how he would explain all this to Commissioner Gordon for a moment.

He turned to Papillion and Madame Beetle, who smiled back at him cheerfully.

"I don't know how I can thank you two." Batman said softly, "You two performed admirably today. You acted with the kind of courage and determination that wouldn't seem out of place with the Teen Titans. And you helped me save Gotham City. You two are a credit to more than just your country."

Papillon smiled shyly at this, really touched by the rare kind words Batman would give anyone.

"Heh, oh shucks! Well, we couldn't have done it without you."

"Yeah, you did your bit too, Batman. If it weren't for you bringing that Batwing of yours in, well, we wouldn't be standing here right now." Madame Beetle noted with a bright smile.

Papillon's smile faded slightly as he glanced back at what was left of Arkham Asylum. The majority of it was still standing, with a few large holes in the roof that the Justice League could see to. But the kitchen was completely gone, disintegrated into nothingness...taking his father's body with it. There was nothing left of Gabriel Agreste, only the Butterfly Broach that had made him Hawk Moth.

Batman took notice of the French boy's sunken look, so he approached him steadily.

"I know he did a lot of sickening things, especially to your friends...but he was still your father" he noted, only for Papillon to let out the biggest sigh he ever could, keeping his eyes tightly closed.

"He stopped being my father a long time ago, Batman...I don't know how to explain this to everyone when I get home" he said bitterly as the whole events of the last few days began to sink into his heart.

Batman could nod sullenly. He understood the boy's grief. He imagined he would feel the same if his own father had turned out to be some criminal or supervillain too. He wasn't exactly sure on what to say to try and ease Papillion's sorrow. Madame Beetle seemed to have her own idea. She approached her boyfriend and embraced him tightly.

"It's sad that you no longer have a father Adrien. But at least you redeemed him in some way." she said softly, "In a way, it was thanks to him that we were able to stop The Joker. He had the Butterfly Broach and you was able to use it to give us a fighting chance. So one could say that on a technical note...he kinda saved us all. I'm not saying that excuses what he did of course, because it doesn't. But at the very least, it leaves something a little positive to remember him for."

Papillion looked down at the Butterfly Broach on his chest, running a hand down it as he took in what his lady had said. A tool used for evil by his father, and he had just used it for good, the way a Miraculous should have been used. And he now had it. In a sense, he sort of thanked Gabriel for providing it for him. And now he could continue improving his father's legacy by using it the way it should have from the very beginning...for good. He looked up at Madame Beetle, a touched smile on his face.

"I think you said just the right words m'lady. Thank you." he replied.

"Don't mention it Adrien." Madame Beetle replied, her hands slowly moving up to the young boy's face.

She cupped his cheeks into her hands and blushed as she planted her lips against his own, giving him a soothing, warm feeling that enlightened him very deeply on the inside, making him close his eyes in bliss as he took her in his arms. How ironic; their first spark of love occurred in the rain outside school, with an umbrella, now they were kissing in the rain, letting all of the world and nature to see it come full circle.

Batman watched the tender scene before him with something close to pleasure. He'd had many romances in his life and while many of them hadn't lasted, he still had an appreciation for romance. It also made him think of the close bond between Dick and Starfire. Young love was always precious no matter what. He was glad that there was something positive to come out of today.

And yet he couldn't help but wonder if he and the French teens would see each other again someday. The life of a superhero was never over and there was always a chance some big event would call for their help in the future...

* * *

 _ **So The Joker is defeated and all is finally well. But is it over? Almost.**_

 _ **Join us for the conclusion as this story wraps up in an epilogue chapter next time...^^**_


	16. Epilogue: Picking Up The Pieces

**Epilogue: Picking up the Pieces**

The clean up operation felt like it was taking an age. Even if the Justice League themselves had been asked to take a part in it.

Once The Joker had been defeated, Batman had handed him to the surviving staff members of Arkham Asylum to hold onto while the prison was being fixed. Both Marinette and Adrien had been concerned about The Joker blurting their secret identities to the staff, but surprisingly, the clown had chosen to keep that information to himself. The last they had seen of him was watching Aaron Cash and another guard drag him away, wrapped in a straitjacket, and giggling inanely. It was as if he didn't even care that he was arrested again.

"I'll rest up in good ol' Arkham as always and then I'll be back, Batsy Patsy! And I won't stop with just you...I'll come for your teen brats too!" The Joker warned, "Mark my words, neither of you have seen the last of The Joker! AH, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA!"

The cryptic laughter that had followed on the heels of his threat still rang in Marinette and Adrien's heads, even though it had now been a couple of days since the incident with The Joker had passed.

At the very least, what occurred afterwards had more than made up for the horrific events of that day. Once the Joker had been taken away, Batman had called Nightwing, Batgirl, Robin and The Spoiler to come help with repairs and then had sent another call to the Justice League. The asylum needed all the help it could get in terms of repairs and prisoner control so he was all too happy to call as many people as he needed. Shortly afterwards, Marinette and Adrien had found themselves meeting some of the most famous faces in the hero community. Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Aquaman, Martian Manhunter, Plastic Man, Green Arrow, Black Canary, Firestorm, Hawk Man, Hawk Girl, Supergirl and even the android Red Tornado had arrived to join Batman's sidekicks in helping with repairs. The two teens had found it impossible to contain themselves as the entire league stood before them.

"Adrien...am I dreaming?" Marinette gasped, her eyes twinkling with delight.

"I hope neither of us are. We are literally staring...at the Justice League themselves!" Adrien cried, sounding more fanboyish than ever before, "Man, they all look so cool!"

Superman had taken in their enthusiasm with his usual sense of modesty before turning to Batman.

"So these are the two who helped you defeat The Joker?" he asked.

"That's right." Batman responded, "They're the heroes of Paris, Ladybug and Cat Noir. They also helped me catch The Riddler too. But not before he took a life..."

Marinette and Adrien nodded grimly as they remembered Chloe's demise at the sick puzzlemaster's hands. They still cringed whenever they thought about it.

"It's a good thing you three managed to prevent it from being more." Superman approved, "We'd love to get to know them but first, we'd best get to work. It looks like there's a lot to do here."

And after two days had gone by, the League were putting the finishing touches onto the repairs. Firestorm had played a huge part in it thanks to his ability to manipulate atoms and molecules to his whim. Much of the heavy-lifting had been carried out by the strongest members of the team while many of the others had kept a close watch on the inmates, making sure they were secure and any that had managed to slip away in The Joker's carnage had been apprehended. They would be finished very soon.

Over in Wayne Manor, Marinette and Adrien were sitting closely together on the large sofa in the equally large living room. Adrien had to admit, even though the house seemed ancient, he felt it was a lot better than the home he had. His home was pale, bland, and didn't have a sense of warmth that Wayne Manor had. It had history, grandness, and a rich colour of light brown floors and a darker shade of the walls and structures, with incredible portraits of the Wayne ancestors to the far left of the room.

The French teens were watching the news, which was playing a recently recorded interview with Superman. Batman rarely ever spoke to the camera, so if anything huge happened in Gotham, the Last Son of Krypton would provide a story to the media. It was only fitting, given Gotham was the sister city to Metropolis. For how the news heard about what was going on, you didn't need to have super eyesight to see what was going on at Arkham given its short distance from Gotham.

"First of all, I need to inform you that those responsible for the destruction here are responsible for the pain that was inflicted on Paris. From what Batman has told me, Ladybug and Chat Noir tracked Joker and Hawk Moth to Arkham. They figured that Joker and Hawk Moth were going to brainwash several Arkham inmates to bring chaos to Gotham..."

He bit his lip at that point and when Adrien realised what it was all about, he couldn't help but feel touched.

"I will have to admit, there was a major casualty in the battle for Arkham. Joker betrayed Hawk Moth and killed him the second he got the chance. I know there's many speculations on Hawk Moth's identity, but I urge everyone, from the press to the civilians, respect the fact that a young man lost his father and he needs a lot of space. That's all I'm saying for now."

Adrien was left speechless by Superman's response to the interviewer in regards to his father. He looked away in disbelief, though touched by the Kryptonian's deep kindness.

"I didn't think he was that soft hearted..." hHe noted to himself quietly. Marinette took hold of his hand and gave him a comforting smile.

"He's always got the best intentions and he knows how to respect other people. That's what makes him good with what he does." she reminded him. It was no secret Marinette was a bit of a fan of Superman, and she had no idea how similar she was in terms to his alter ego.

The screen then displayed footage of Mayor Bourgeois, looking tired but somewhat hopeful. This was a live broadcast the TV was showing, and it was appropriate as the situation at Arkham tied to what happened at Paris.

"I still grieve for the loss of my daughter." the major said, not a single shred of his old arrogance or conceitedness as he spoke, "Chloe was my whole world. I will admit that she...didn't exactly make friends with many people and some may have disapproved of how she acted. But she was still my daughter. And this is why I have nothing but my sincerest thanks to the Batman of Gotham and of course, France's young heroes, for all they've done for us. The criminals responsible for this are doing time for their crimes and I'm happy to say it'll be a LONG time before any of them see the light of day again!"

Their dislike of Chloe aside, Marinette and Adrien couldn't help but side with the mayor. An unusual feeling for both of them for they didn't often agree with the mayor. But they both knew that it was right. Chloe had been avenged, her death hadn't been in vain and nobody else in Paris or Gotham would share her fate for now.

"As a token of my thanks, I am going to use my resources and whatever else I have at my disposal to make sure any filthy criminal like The Riddler, Hawk Moth or The Joker gets the comeuppance they deserve and that nobody else gets so heartlessly slaughtered like my Chloe!" the mayor went on, "Ladybug, Cat Noir, Justice League, if you're hearing this, you will be happy to hear that I am willing to work alongside you and do whatever it takes to aid you in your crusade against crime. My services will be forever available to you."

The two teens looked at each other with approval in their eyes. It was about time Andre actually made a smart move for once. It was a shame it took such a tragic event to make it happen, but it just meant that something good at least had come out of it.

Marinette then got a pleasant surprise as Alfred entered the room with two very familiar people beside him. He cleared his throat politely.

"Miss Dupain-Cheng, I believe I have two people who are very keen to see you." he announced.

The young bluenette let out a gasp of joy as the two newcomers entered the living room. Standing there, as bright and warm as they always were, were Thomas and Sabine Dupain-Cheng. Marinette was gone from the sofa in a second and enveloped both her parents in a tight hug.

"Mom! Dad! You both made it, I'm so glad you're here!" she exclaimed happily.

"We're glad to be here, dear, and we're glad you're safe" Thomas said warmly, patting his daughter's back.

"I'm just glad you weren't staying in the actual city. I've heard all sorts of thugs hang around there. No offence, sir." Sabine said, finishing her sentence as she looked at Alfred, who waved it off, literally.

"It's fine, Mrs Dupain-Cheng. Trust me, your daughter and her boyfriend are safe here." he assured, making both bakers look at Marinette and Adrien in silent shock. Both teens blushed brightly. The two parents knew what that meant.

"Well...that's a lot to take in" Thomas chuckled as he rubbed the back of his head, not sure what else to say.

"I say it's about time! She talks about you a lot, Adrien, dear!" Sabine exclaimed, much more vocal at what Alfred let slip.

"Mom, not now!" Marinette exclaimed, blushing even brighter and hiding her face behind a pillow. Right now, if she could choose between her parents and The Joker, she would willingly take The Joker.

"I'm not surprised honestly." Adrien chuckled, rubbing the back of his head shyly, "But I can tell you that I couldn't be happier to be your daughter's boyfriend. You should feel proud to have such a kind-hearted, sweet, friendly and caring daughter like Marinette."

Hearing Adrien compliment her so passionately made Marinette feel warm and fuzzy inside. She wasn't even sure if her heart was still beating or not. How she'd longed to hear her dream boy say such nice things about her! Sabine and Tom looked equally as flattered.

"Well, I don't call her my sweet little pastry for nothing!" Tom said, laughing heartily.

"I suppose you'll want me to leave now." Alfred said nonchalantly, feeling a little out of place in this family reunion.

Nobody objected so the butler quietly allowed himself to disappear, exiting through the door he'd entered so the Dupain-Chengs and Adrien could have some alone time together.

He smiled fondly, noting to himself that it was nice to see a fresher feeling of emotions be present in the manor. Last time he saw such a sweet romance was that of Tim and Stephanie. It was years since Tim moved out of Wayne Manor, so Alfred warmly welcomed the time of the loving emotions he witnessed.

He was pulled from his thoughts as he saw Bruce coming down the stairs, holding a few paper files under his arm, regarding Alfred with a quick nod.

"The Dupain-Cheng family arrived just now, sir. I can gladly tell you all is well with them in the living room." he said rather pleasantly, getting a small smile off of Bruce.

"That's good. We'll make them feel at home while they're here." he responded.

"Shall I prepare their rooms for them, sir?" Alfred questioned as he held his hands together expectantly.

"Yes you can. I'll let them know while I'm passing through." Bruce replied, steadying his hold on the papers, which Alfred regarded with a raised eyebrow.

"Mind if I ask what are those, Master Wayne?" he asked with a hint of interest in his voice.

"A bit of info I got Barbara to send to me about the Miraculouses. When Adrien and Marinette are ready, they'll have to speak to some people soon." he informed as he began to go towards the living room, Alfred's head turning after him.

"How soon, Master Wayne?" he inquired, to which he gotten a small smirk in response from his old friend.

"You'll see".

He entered the room, leaving Alfred to his duties. As soon as he entered, four heads all turned in his direction as they acknowledged the fact that somebody had come in. And not just anybody, but Bruce Wayne himself no less. Adrien and Marinette winked at each other, remembering that his secret had to stay with them. The last thing they needed were Sabine and Tom finding out they were talking to Batman himself.

"Greetings Mr. and Mrs. Dupain-Cheng." Bruce greeted with a polite wave, "I assume you both had a pleasant flight here."

"We did thank you Mr. Wayne." Sabine replied, "Though me and Tom could barely keep ourselves contained as we approached Gotham. We were worrying about our little Marinette the whole time."

"How's she been for ya by the way?" Tom asked curiously, "Good as gold no doubt."

"She's been very well thanks." Bruce replied, nodding over to the blue-haired teen, "She's been a very pleasant guest in my home along with Adrien. I couldn't have been happier to take care of her for you."

The small Chinese woman and the huge French man beamed in delight. Marinette beamed too, but unknown to her parents, she winked slyly at Bruce Wayne. The billionaire CEO winked back at her. They both knew just how literally Wayne had meant those words.

"That's our little Marinette." Tom replied, "She may have two left feet sometimes but she's a great kid!"

The bluenette sighed in annoyance. For once, couldn't she meet somebody without her parents mentioning her clumsiness?!

"Well during her stay, she hasn't shown any signs of having two left feet." Bruce said with a slight smirk, "She seems to have both feet quite firmly on the ground to me."

That set them all off. Both parents and teens giggled at the Wayne Enterprises CEO's little joke. Neither of them knew that Bruce Wayne had such a great sense of humour. As soon as they stopped laughing though, Sabine took notice of the sheath of papers in Bruce's hands.

"Oh, you must be busy. Those must be important documents you've got there." she politely noted, making Bruce glance at the papers.

"These are for my company, but this doesn't stop me from seeing my guests are alright. When Adrien is ready, I'm willing to contact his associates in Paris. He'll need a home to go to when he gets back." he explained softly, getting a small nod from Adrien.

"Thanks, Mr Wayne. That'd be nice." he said quietly, remembering how his house was left in a wrecked state the last time he saw it.

"Oh he's got that lady and bodyguard of his, they might be able to talk to you about it" Sabine replied, taking notice of Adrien's sullen look.

"Ah yes, there's those two. I will have to get some answers from them first, for obvious reasons." Bruce replied, his tone going firm.

Adrien knew what he meant. As far as they knew, the Gorilla had nothing to do with Gabriel's secret, but they needed to make sure things were all clear with Nathalie. They had to be just sure.

"I-I can show you how to contact them, Mr Wayne, if you'd want." Adrien then spoke up, feeling it was best to give Marinette and her parents all the time they needed to catch up together. He also wasn't ready for more pitying regarding his father.

"That would be good. Come with me." Bruce offered with an outstretched hand, to which Adrien followed after. He glanced back at Marinette with a small smile.

"I'll be back soon" he said quietly, getting a nod off the baker family.

Once they left, Thomas tapped Marinette's shoulder.

"How's he taking it? His papa being Hawk Moth?" he asked with a hint of concern in his voice. Marinette exhaled through her nose, still trying to shake off the horrible image of Gabriel's body rotting away with the decaying rot that destroyed Arkham Asylum's kitchen.

"It's still sinking in, really. I knew his dad was a bit...distant, but we all didn't think he was a super villain..." Marinette spoke with a lot of honesty in her voice. She herself was still finding it a bit hard to cope with, given she once looked up to Gabriel for his fashion designs.

"Poor boy. He's a nice young man, so it's horrible he gotten all this." Sabine added with a lot of sympathy for the absent blond boy.

"It's horrible with what we've all been through...Joker nearly killed you both that night. I wouldn't be able to live without you both. Then there's my friends seeing Chloe getting killed..." Marinette pointed out, wondering how the likes of Alya, Nino, Nathanael, Lila, and the others were with the ordeal they were put through.

"We'll pull through this together. That's what matters" Thomas said warmly as he pulled his family into a loving hug. A smile crossed Marinette's lips, happy to have her parents by her side in one piece.

* * *

With Adrien, he was walking with Bruce around the back garden of Wayne Manor, mostly talking about the contact details in getting hold of Nathalie.

"You will be okay if I ask her a few questions about what she really did with your father?" Bruce asked concernedly.

"I know why you have to do it, Mr Wayne. But from what I saw of them together, Nathalie was a bit scared of him. I doubt she knew he was Hawk Moth, but if you have to make sure then it's okay." came Adrien's response, his voice distant as he admired the garden.

"Thank you Adrien." Bruce replied. He glanced down at the papers again briefly before looking back up at Adrien. The teen boy noticed this and he put two and two together in his head.

"Those papers aren't really business related aren't they?" he asked.

Bruce was quietly impressed. Adrien maybe a bit of a joker and more fun-loving than some heroes out there but he clearly had a sharp mind. He'd make a good detective if he had more training in his life.

"Not exactly." the rich man admitted, "I had Barbara Gordon, one of my associates, look into the history of these Miraculouses that empowered you, Marinette and Gabriel."

"Did she find out anything interesting?" the blonde boy asked curiously. He was keen to see where this was going.

"Well, according to what she found out, the Miraculouses have ties to Tibet. One of the people Barbara spoke to has pointed out one of the Kwami is missing. It looks like a peacock of some kind." Bruce explained, causing a thoughtful expression to cross Adrien's face.

"Peacock...Tibet...I think I remember finding something to do with that in one of my dad's hidden cupboards. I didn't pay much attention to it back then, but I remember seeing a map of Tibet and some sort of tool that looked like peacock feathers...you think this could have anything to do with my mother?"

"It's possible. I'll tell Barbara what you told me. She could find some way of getting into your old home before anyone else finds those items. These papers, though..."

He trailed off as he handed them to Adrien, who was stunned to see some of it contained rather graphic images, specifically property damage and a few remains of bodies...the dates though greatly surprised him.

"Victorian London, Seventeenth Century Japan, Eighteen Hundred America...these are going as far back as the Greek Times! Hang on...this means-"

"Not all wielders of the Chat Miraculous have used their powers for good, or couldn't be able to control their powers. You seem to be doing just fine, but...I feel you haven't mastered your skills yet" Bruce interrupted, choosing his words carefully so as not to cross the line of trust.

"Do you think you can help me then? Stop me from losing control?" Adrien responded in a hopeful voice, only for Bruce's expression to form into a regrettable look.

"I'm sorry to say this, Adrien, but I'm no expert on magic...someone else will have to handle that area of expertise. Someone who's an expert in the Dark Arts." Bruce explained, making Adrien frown in confusion.

"Well, who can do that then?" He asked in wonder.

"That'll be me, mate."

Stunned at the voice of the newcomer, Adrien turned to see a man standing a few feet from him and Bruce. Dressed in a brownish coat, with his shirt collar undone widely, a loose red tie hanging rather untidily from said collar, dark trousers and matching shoes, as well as having messily combed spiked fair hair was a man who had a cigarette sticking out of the corner of his mouth. His blue eyes looking empty yet held a mix of seriousness and casualness.

"He's the man that can help you in this area. I am sorry." Bruce informed, not taking too well on the man's presence as he approached him and Adrien, who felt like he was looking in a dark mirror of himself. The man cracked a smile as he held out his hand to Adrien.

"John Constantine, expert in the Dark Arts, drinks, music, and deep insight into the world of demonic entities, at your begrudging service." he spoke, his British voice light yet somewhat sarcastic.

Adrien felt unsure at first, not liking the rough state of the man, nor his cigarette, but deciding to be polite about it, he chosen to shake the hand of Constantine, who smirked as he caught a glimpse of the Chat Miraculous ring.

"My my, the real deal. Didn't think the cat was a pretty boy. You better be a fast learner, nipper, because I don't want to repeat myself." he chuckled, unnerving Adrien as a long puff of smoke blew into Bruce's face, making his face twist in irritation.

"I told you no smoking on my property, Constantine." he growled, making the British man promptly drop the cigarette and stamped on it with his heel.

"Sorry about that, Bruce mate. Just appreciate the fact I got here quickly." he said in a mockingly hurt tone, making Bruce sigh in annoyance.

"If you're going to be disrespectful, I might make Adrien change his mind." he warned, only for Constantine to put up a wavering hand.

"Say no more, I know how to get on with young lads like this nipper, we'll get things sorted in no time, always need to reconnect across the channel." he said, his face empty of any enthusiasm.

Adrien ran his eyes over the scruffy looking Brit before him. He was beginning to feel unsure about this. He couldn't say he welcomed the idea of having to spend any time with this man. He didn't seem very friendly and the look of him gave him the impression that spending any level of time with him would get him diseased.

"Um...Bruce? Do you think he's the right guy?" the teen hero asked nervously.

"He may seem like a bit of a...as his people might say, "twat" Adrien, but don't let that fool you." Bruce said reassuringly, "He's not a bad man deep down. He's even part of another Justice League, the Justice League Dark. He's exactly the man who'll help you control your power."

"I've always been keen to see this "Cat Ring" trinket in action." John admitted, straightening out his tie for no real reason, "That kind of magic is not something you see very often, and probably for the right reasons. So how does it work mate?"

Adrien had a feeling he was going to get mocked big time by the British magic expert, but if what he just heard about him was true, he felt it was only best to give him a glimpse of his powers. Flexing his fingers, he inhaled a bit of air before calling on his powers.

"PLAGG, CLAWS OUT!" he yelled.

A blast of yellow and green occurred and Constantine watched closely as he spotted Plagg fly into the ring in a blur. Though the finished result, with Chat Noir standing before him, gotten a smirk out of him.

"Heh, blimey, didn't think nippers your age were into wearing leather. Guess you can blame your cat for that, though, pretty boy." he chuckled as he gotten out his cigarette lighter.

Chat Noir blushed brightly in embarrassment and looked at Bruce with a deep frown.

"Do I HAVE to work with him?" he asked with a hint of a whine to his voice.

"Oh chill out, mate, I'm just pulling your tail. Like me or not, I'm your only hope of using your powers properly. Stops the likes of Trigon's or Blaze's wankers coming after you and using it for their own means." Constantine spoke up before Bruce could say anything.

"Watch the language." the billionaire warned sharply, getting another wave off of Constantine.

"Oh calm down, I'm sure your butler says all sorts of things under the sun. Now get lost, master and apprentice need to work." he said calmly as he put an arm around Chat Noir's back, walking him towards a bush nearby.

Bruce, however, stayed where he was, keeping a close eye on the Brit. He trusted Constantine but he wanted to make sure if Chat Noir was really up for it.

"Now as rich boy over there said, I look like the usual rude twat that tries to tell all sorts of rubbish to earn a bit of money, tell idiots to fuck off when I feel like it, but believe me when I say this, I only want to help. Humanity needs to strive forward, not sink and rot, aim for greater things. You can help in that part of the picture mate, if you'll listen to what I have to say." Constantine explained, his voice still casual, but a bit of lightness came to it.

Despite feeling uncomfortable around him, Cat Noir had the feeling that Constantine meant what he said. He knew too well that not everybody who behaved like a jerk was a total jerk through and through. Even the biggest of jerks carried a heart of gold after all.

"OK then Constantine, whatever you say." Cat Noir said, "I'm ready."

"Good show old boy." John replied casually, "Let's get started..."

* * *

Back inside the manor, Alfred came back to the living room, clearing his throat to make his presence known to the family of bakers.

"Sorry to interrupt, but I just need your opinions on my work for the rooms you'll be staying in, Mr and Mrs Dupain-Cheng. Just need to be sure everything is up to your standards." he requested politely, not wanting to come across as his usual sarcastic self towards them. They were kind guests that needed the respect he had to give.

"Oh, of course. Will you be alright waiting here, Marinette?" Sabine questioned her daughter as she and Thomas stood up.

"Go on ahead, I'm not gonna disappear!" she assured in a bright voice, patting her parents' arms.

"Alright, we'll be back soon though." Sabine responded, taking Thomas's hand as she and him followed Alfred out into the grand front lobby of the manor.

As Marinette was about to take her seat, her ears perked up as she heard Alfred's voice rise a little as he addressed someone in the lobby.

"Ah, Miss Prince, glad you made it. Just take a seat in the living room and you'll be seen to, shortly." he stated, making Marinette frown. Neither Bruce or Alfred mentioned anyone else would be coming. Neither had she ever heard them once associating themselves with someone known as "Miss Prince".

Shortly after, in walked a young looking woman with slightly dark Caucasian skin and a pair of slim square spectacles resting on her nose. She wore a rather slim fitting buttoned up white suit jacket, a large pearl yellow necklace upon her neck, with dark trousers hugging her legs while her feet were partially bare with white sandals. Her dark hair was nearly tied into a bun on the back of her head, while her blue eyes scanned the room in wonder before settling on Marinette.

The bluenette didn't know why, but this woman seemed to have a strong sense of wisdom to her, despite her young beautiful features. A friendly smile crossed the woman's face as she spoke.

"Ah, hello. You must be the girl I've heard about. Pleasure to meet you." she greeted politely, her voice carrying a Middle Eastern accent to her.

"Hi Miss Prince." Marinette replied, shaking the woman's hand. She wasn't sure why, but she felt strangely at ease with this woman. She was the sort of person who didn't even have to try to look friendly, she just naturally did.

"Please, just call me Diana." the woman replied, "And you must be Marinette Dupain-Cheng am I right?"

"That's me." Marinette replied brightly, "Big fan of the Justice League and big supporter of Ladybug and Cat Noir back in my home city!"

"That might explain the ladybug earrings you wear then." Diana remarked, smiling.

Marinette giggled as she put a hand over her right ear. This woman clearly had very observant eyes. She seemed like the type of person who wouldn't miss a trick.

"Yeah, I pretty much wear them for that." the bluenette replied.

"I imagine. And yet, they look vaguely familiar..." Diana remarked, her voice trailing off as if something had occurred to her.

Marinette stared at this stranger quizzically. Was she indicating that she was a previous Ladybug or something? It seemed there was more to her than met the eye.

"So um...what do you do Diana and why are you seeing me right now?" she asked, choosing her words carefully.

Diana giggled brightly, touched by the innocent tone of Marinette.

"Sorry for staring, I had to be sure. I knew your parents would be here, so that's why I came like this, didn't want to shock them." she explained, gesturing at her rather respectable clothing. Marinette just tilted her head and frowned in confusion.

"Um...I'm sorry, but could you be a bit clearer? Not to be rude" she pleaded, quickly changing her tone.

Diana beamed at her and flexed out her arms. "Certainly. But don't get too excited: we can't let your parents know." she winked.

Before Marinette could give out another question, her eyes went wide as Diana swiftly slammed her forearms together. Radiating from her forearms came a blast of bright yellow light, which shot harmlessly through the room, though Marinette's heart jumped in shock as she sprung to her feet. What she saw next left her utterly speechless.

Standing before her was the same woman, only her modernised clothing and glasses were gone, with her hair now loose and brushing against her bare shoulders. Silver gauntlets hugged her forearms while sleek, bright red armour clung to her torso, with a W shaped armour of yellow stretched across her breast line. A deep blue war skirt hung from her waist with silver stars added to them, while her armoured leggings stretched from her thighs to her toes, red and yellow as her torso armour, while at her hip was a looped up golden lasso.

Marinette's eyes nearly bulged out from her head in utter shock as it sunk into her on who this was.

"W-W-Wonder Woman!?" she gasped in disbelief.

"The one and only my child." Wonder Woman replied, "I had assumed you'd be quite amazed to see me."

"Amazed? That word's not enough!" Marinette squealed enthusiastically, "You're like my favourite member of the Justice League! Ohmigosh, I'm actually looking at you right now! Eeeeeeeee!"

"Please dear, there's no need for such fanfare." Wonder Woman gently replied, "Now then, I think you have a little friend that might be happy to see me."

"Really?" Marinette asked quizzically.

That was when, out of her little purse, Tikki poked her head out and yawned sleepily. She smacked her lips and rubbed her eyes groggily.

"Huuurm, Marinette, is it time to get up already?" she murmured.

The little kwami then widened her eyes as she gazed up at the mighty Amazon warrior standing before her. She hadn't expected anything like this and yet she knew who this woman was. Beaming delightedly, Tikki flew up out of the purse and nuzzled up against Wonder Woman's cheek.

"Princess Diana! Wow, I didn't expect to see you again!" Tikki exclaimed excitedly, "You look incredible! The new armour looks amazing!"

"Thanks very much little Tikki." Wonder Woman replied softly.

Marinette stared with her mouth forming a wide O as she took this in. It was incredible. She had dealt with many akuma villains, survived a fight with a god and Batman's enemies...and yet THIS was somehow more shocking than those things!

"What in the world...you two...KNOW each other?!" Marinette exclaimed, her eyes so wide that they nearly burst out of their sockets.

Both Wonder Woman and Tikki nodded brightly.

"Mm hm. We go back a long time" the latter confirmed as she sat in the Amazon's hands.

Marinette pointed a trembling finger at the princess standing before her, an excited smile twitching upwards.

"D-Does that mean...y-you were...?"

"Oh no no, not me, dear child. I was too little to wield the earrings. It was my mother. She was the Ladybug of her time." Wonder Woman explained pleasantly, getting a squeak from Tikki.

"Oh! How is your mother? I haven't heard from Hippolyta for centuries! She still looks good?" she asked eagerly.

"Heh, oh Tikki, we're from Themyscira, you know we never age after we love our teenage years." Wonder Woman snickered.

Marinette took all of this in with a feeling of wonder. She never could've anticipated something like this. The Queen of the Amazons and the mother of Wonder Woman herself had once been Ladybug? It was all so incredible and yet the French girl surprisingly found herself accepting it. She couldn't find any reason to question it. After all, the Ladybug persona went back many generations so why wouldn't it be hard to believe that an Amazon had once worn the earrings?

"I never thought I'd hear such a story." Marinette said slowly, "Tikki once bestowed her powers to an Amazon! And just when I thought her history was already fascinating!" she added, beaming delightedly.

"History has a habit of amazing and intriguing many individuals in the most unexpected of ways Marinette." Wonder Woman replied.

"So is there a reason that you're seeing me and you're telling me all of this?" Marinette asked curiously. It had just dawned on her that this all seemed to be happening and nobody had yet explained why, if there even was a reason for it.

Wonder Woman's face went stern, only slightly, as she knelt in front of Marinette and took hold of her hands.

"Master Fu might've taught you many things, Marinette, but one day Tikki will go to another holder. That and when Batman told me what Joker did to you, I realize now that you'll need training, mostly when you're not Ladybug" she informed, her voice full of wisdom and concern.

It dawned on Marinette with what the princess was talking about "You mean...you'll teach me how to fight? I'm...no good with swords...bit of a klutz really, I just gave it all I could against Joker." she giggled shyly, only to get a playful giggle from the Amazon before her.

"Don't worry, there'll be no sword training. You need to be taught the skilled ways of hand to hand combat, by the way of the Amazons. You do mostly rely on the yo-yo, but it's not always the yo-yo that's the answer, Marinette".

"I think I understand. It's one of those "it's not the weapon, it's the hand that wields it" kind of deals isn't it?" Marinette asked. She wasn't sure where that quote had come from but something told her that it was basically what Wonder Woman was saying.

"Absolutely." the Amazon princess replied, "I was taught to wield many weapons when I was trained in Themyscira. I was taught to wield swords, shields, bows and arrows, spears, axes, my Lasso of Truth and even trained to fight in unarmed combat. Sometimes all it takes to take your down your enemy is your bare hands. I will mentor you child, and I'll teach you how to be a fighter not just inside the costume, but outside of it too."

"That way when I'm moved onto my next owner, you can still be a hero without me!" Tikki piped cheerfully.

Marinette didn't much fancy the idea of having to say goodbye to Tikki. She couldn't imagine life without her and the ability to become Ladybug. But the fact that Wonder Woman, the strongest and most skilled woman who ever lived, was going to mentor her for the possibility she couldn't become Ladybug, was definitely very considerate on their part. She liked the idea of being able to take down villains without needing a Miraculous all the time. It would be useful in many situations that could arise. Beaming, Marinette shook Wonder Woman's hand.

"OK then Wonder Woman, I'm ready to go." she said, "When do we start?"

"Right now if you like." Wonder Woman replied casually, "Wayne Manor's grounds will make a fitting battlefield."

With nothing left to say, the two females and the little kwami left the room to begin the training. Marinette could feel her stomach tingle with excitement. As unexpected as this had been, she knew that her life was about to change in the most incredible way. Much like Adrien, her life was going to be more than just the wielder of a Miraculous item.

Both teens had started off being defenders of a city. And in the span of a few days, it seemed that they were going to become greater than that. Defenders of the world in fact. And there was nothing that could be more miraculous than that...

* * *

 _ **And thus we bring an end to this crossover epic. I'm so glad you all enjoyed it (and I'm surprised how many favourites this thing got! I guess a Batman/Ladybug crossover is more popular than I thought! XD) and you all stuck with me and my co-writer, Reece Wooldridge, to the end, even during our long hiatus. :D**_

 _ **I can't thank you guys enough for your kind feedback and your support. You've all been AWESOME! But the most thanks goes to my co-writer, Reece Wooldridge (you can find him on DeviantArt under the username "Tails-2-Me") for joining me in writing this crossover. This story wouldn't exist if he hadn't joined me. Thanks so much for joining me buddy. (hugs)**_

 _ **Will there be a sequel to this? No. No there won't. But we're leaving open opportunities for sequels, hence the way this ended, so we may well change our minds and do one in the future. For now though, it's the end and I hope to see you all in my next fanfics! ^^**_


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